Gum Disease

Gum disease ranges from gingivitis or early gum tissue inflammation, to periodontitis or advanced gum tissue infection. When a patient has gum disease, it is a serious, chronic bacterial disease that destroys both the gums and the bone surrounding the teeth. Gum disease left untreated will lead to tooth loss and may lead to other health risks including Diabetes, Heart attack and Stroke.

Plaque is a major cause of gum disease but not the only cause. We also know there is a genetic predisposition to gum disease and we are able to test our patients to determine their potential risk. Other factors that contribute to gum disease are smoking, how your body reacts to this inflammatory insult, diet and oral hygiene.

I have been a patient of Dr. Parker since 1985. I now live in another state (Navada) and I travel overnight so Dr. Brad can be my dentist. Years ago I shattered my back tooth on a Friday night. I was in terrible pain and one call to Dr. Brad got me in his chair on a Saturday morning, he said he had never seen a tooth fractured that badly, and helped me got out of pain.. Dr. Brad truly cares about his patients. He was there when I needed him the most. I know I have a skilled, caring professional staff that will help me
day or night.

~ Peter F.

Ways to prevent gum disease:

Proper home care
Electric toothbrush/waterpik
Nutritional supplements to promote bone and gum health
Mouthwash with higher PH
Regular dental checkups

What many people don’t realize is that gum disease has an oral systemic link. This means that gum disease can be linked to other diseases in the body. There are 500-800 different bacteria in the mouth. Some of these are ok but many are not. Gum disease is an inflammatory disease and bleeding in swollen inflamed gums allows these harmful bacteria to get into the blood stream and attach to the arteries. This causes hardening of the arteries and has an effect on blood sugar. Diabetic patients often have gum disease and gum disease is known to make diabetes worse, and diabetes makes gum disease harder to control and heal. Dr. Parker is proud to be a founding member of Dentistry for Diabetics; a group of Doctors dedicated to helping patients with diabetes improve their blood sugar control.

Pregnant women are also at a higher risk due to the possibility that gum disease can lead to preterm birth. We recommend that mothers come in more frequently during pregnancy so that we can monitor them and treat the problem early.

Our office has taken many advance courses in treating gum disease. As a Center for Dental Medicine, we follow a standardized protocol used successfully by over 70 other dental offices throughout the country. Gum disease can be treated by the traditional method of deep cleaning; however, over 80% of the time when this method is used alone, bacteria continue to live in the tissue around the teeth. And the gum disease often returns. Even though we still use this method, we often recommend more advanced treatment, which involves using a specific dental laser. Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure or LANAP, helps to regenerate the gums as it disinfects and kills bacteria. LANAP has less pain, no stitches, minimal bleeding and a quicker recovery.

We want you to be healthy so we will always listen to your wants and strive to use the most conservative treatments. Treating gum disease is another way we are "Saving lives... one smile at a time".

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