Periodontal Treatments

Periodontal disease, or gum disease, affects your gums, teeth and underlying structures. As it progresses, gums can pull away from teeth to form hard-to-clean pockets, and the infection will eventually affect the jawbone itself. The condition can range in severity and is most treatable when diagnosed early.

Milder cases of periodontal disease are known as gingivitis and can often be treated with a professional cleaning and increased attention to dental hygiene, which can even reverse the damage. More severe cases of periodontal disease, or periodontitis, may require more extensive treatments. Dr. Bijan Afar, our Los Angeles periodontal treatments expert, will evaluate your gums to determine the severity of your condition and recommend the appropriate treatment.

Periodontal Treatments Los Angeles

Our expert in periodontal treatments in Los Angeles may recommend nonsurgical treatments that include:

•    Scaling and root planing, which removes tartar buildup from above and below your gumline and polishes your root surfaces to reduce the risk of future tartar buildup

•    Topical or oral antibiotics to combat the bacteria infection in your gums

Surgical treatments may be necessary for some patients who have experienced significant damage due to their gum disease. Our Los Angeles periodontal treatments expert may offer nonsurgical treatments combined with procedures that are designed to strengthen your jawbone, restore lost gum tissue, replace missing teeth or reduce the size of the periodontal pockets.

These treatments may include:

•    Gum graft surgery
•    Laser treatments
•    Regenerative procedures
•    Pocket reduction surgery
•    Dental implants

Smokers, pregnant women, those with certain health conditions and patients with poor dental hygiene or a family history of gum disease are at the greatest risk. If you have any symptoms of gum disease, including swollen or receding gums, pockets of pus, gums that bleed, red or irritated gums or chronic bad breath, our expert in periodontal treatments in Los Angeles can help. Contact Dr. Bijan Afar, Los Angeles dentist, today to schedule your next appointment.