Gum Disease Treatment Owings Mills

Scaling & Root Planing

The plaque and tartar contributing to your gum disease often can’t be removed with a standard dental cleaning. That is where scaling and root planing come in. The scaling step focuses on getting rid of bacteria beneath the gumline; we will thoroughly clean any pockets that have appeared as a result of your gum disease. Then the tooth roots will be smoothed out via root planing, which allows the gums to bond with the teeth again.

Antibiotic Therapy

Gum disease is an infection of the soft tissues in your mouth. To help you prevent the infection from growing worse, we may prescribe antibiotic therapy. Our practice uses Arestin, which is placed into your periodontal pockets so that it can kill the bacteria that are attacking your gums. Over time, this helps reduce the depth of the pockets. Note that in many cases, antibiotic therapy will be performed in addition to scaling and root planing. Arestin releases the antibiotic directly in the site of the problem and does not have systemic effects like oral antibiotics.

Periodontal Maintenance

Periodontal maintenance is often a necessary step for managing gum disease. It is somewhat similar to the regular cleanings that you receive at routine dental visits, but it typically has to be performed more often – normally every three to four months. When you visit us for periodontal maintenance, we will perform scaling and root planing in order to remove plaque and tartar from the pockets between your teeth and gums. These visits also give us a chance to keep an eye on the depth of said pockets.