16
Aug
Periodontal Treatment Helps You Achieve Optimal Gum Health and Overall Wellness
A beautiful smile is more than white, straight teeth. The importance of gum health is often overlooked, yet gums are crucial in holding teeth in place. If the foundation isn’t solid, your smile will not last.
Because the mouth is part of your body, gum disease shouldn’t be considered a localized oral problem but a systematic disease. David A. Goodman, DMD Alan C. Ko, DMD, offers periodontal therapy in Milford, Massachusetts, to prevent, detect, and treat gum disease for optimal health.
How does periodontal disease develop?
Gum disease can develop in individuals who do not maintain optimal oral hygiene. When teeth are not brushed or flossed properly, food debris can accumulate, attracting harmful bacteria in the mouth. Over time, a sticky, colorless film (plaque or oral microfilm) gathers in your mouth and calcifies into stubborn tartar (dental calculus).
Unwanted bacteria in plaque and tartar can colonize the tissues of your gums. At the earliest stage of gum disease (gingivitis), the infection is just at the surface of the gums and often causes gum tenderness, redness, and bleeding.
Left unchecked, gingivitis attacks the tissues beneath the gum line, causing deep periodontal pockets between teeth and gums. Over time, harmful bacteria and deposits can damage and destroy the structures supporting the teeth, potentially resulting in tooth loss. The good news is that periodontal disease can be managed, even for advanced cases.
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What are the treatment options for gum disease?
There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for gum disease. Your treatment depends on the severity of the infection. Drs. Alan Ko, Brittany Bressler, and Saeed Kashefi can reverse gingivitis with standard cleanings and optimal oral hygiene. However, we’ll recommend the following treatment options when the infection goes beyond the gingivitis stage.
- Deep teeth cleaning: This non-surgical treatment involves scaling and root planing (SRP). Scaling removes bacterial toxins and unwanted deposits from the teeth and root surfaces. Then, the dentist planes the roots to remove rough spots that attract harmful bacteria. Furthermore, root planing encourages gum tissues to reattach to your teeth, promoting optimal periodontal health.
- Antibiotic therapy: Topical and oral antibiotics halt bacterial colonies from forming in your gingival tissues.
- Gum flap surgery: Periodontal cleaning effectively treats many periodontal gum cases, preventing surgery. However, sometimes, the periodontal pockets are too deep to clean. In such cases, the doctor incises your gums to create a flap, providing direct access to the jawbone and other deeper structures.
- Gum grafting: Periodontal disease causes irreversible damage to the periodontal ligaments and underlying bone when left to thrive. Unfortunately, once your gums are damaged, they won’t grow back. Gum grafting involves transplanting healthy tissues to the receded area to replenish lost tissues.
Do you need periodontal treatment?
Periodontal disease not only causes oral issues but has been linked to systematic complications, such as diabetes, preterm births, heart disease, and so on. If you suspect gum disease, seek treatment promptly.
If you need periodontal treatment in Milford, MA, call (508) 850-0686 to schedule an appointment with David A. Goodman, DMD Alan C. Ko, DMD.
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Alan Ko, DMD
Alan Ko, DMD, studied Biology at Washington University in St. Louis (BA Magna Cum Laude), Dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania (DMD Magna Cum Laude, Dean’s Scholarship recipient, Louis I. Grossman Award in Endodontics, and Academy of General Dentistry Award Recipient), did his residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH)/Harvard Medical School (General Practice Residency and Clinical Instructor Massachusetts General Hospital), was a guest lecturer at Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and Massachusetts General Hospital (General Practice Residency). Dr. Ko’s clinical focuses are craniofacial development in children, sleep/airway dentistry, TMD and occlusion, regenerative oral surgery, and reconstructive restorative/prosthetic dentistry, including Invisalign and dental implants. He is a member of the American Dental Association and Massachusetts Dental Society and has been named as Boston’s Top Dentists since 2012.
Brittany Bressler, DMD
Brittany Bressler, DMD, attended the University of New Hampshire-Durham (magna cum laude, studying psychology and pre-dental studies). Then, she attended Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, MA (Doctorate in Dental Medicine). At Tufts, she was the Vice President of the local chapter of the American Association of Women Dentists. Dr. Bressler has been named one of Boston Magazine’s Top Dentists for the last four years.
Saeed Kashefi, DMD, FAGD
Saeed Kashefi, DMD, FAGD, attended Harvard University (Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Literature and Creative Writing, cum laude), the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine (doctorate, cum laude: He also won the JR Schmidt Fixed Prosthodontics Award), and the BWH/ Harvard-Wide General Practice Residency Program in Hospital Dentistry (residency and fellowship). He stayed on the BWH staff before taking over as clinician attending at the Massachusetts General Hospital, where he served for 16 years. Dr. Kashefi was also the Clinical Instructor at Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine during this time. He is a Fellow of the American Association of Hospital Dentists and Academy of General Dentistry.
Cristina Hantavis MS, CCC-SLP
Cristina Hantavis MS, CCC-SLP, is a licensed and certified Speech and Language Pathologist with extensive training in orofacial myology. She believes that oral health is deeply connected to our general health and takes a holistic approach that targets the whole body by working with the muscles of the face and mouth. Cristina previously worked in private and elementary school settings with children experiencing moderate to severe cognitive, linguistic, and behavioral challenges. She uses this experience to help children facing such issues in her current role.
David Goodman, DMD (retired)
David Goodman, DMD (retired), joined our practice in 1984. Our office was founded in 1975 by Dr. Carl DiGregorio, and since partnering with him, Dr. Goodman has been devoted to delivering exceptional dental care to Milford families. Although he retired in 2021, our practice still carries his philosophy of treating patients as whole people beyond just their teeth.