Dr. Siny Thomas of Sugar Land is a general dentist who offers periodontal services. You can have the convenience of achieving and maintaining healthy gums and teeth at a single location.
What Is a Periodontist?
A periodontist specializes in diagnosing, preventing, and treating diseases that affect the gums and bone that support your teeth. Although Dr. Thomas is not a specialist, he has post-graduate training in periodontal care. If your case is complicated or severe, Dr. Thomas works with a specialist and won’t hesitate to refer you.
Types of Periodontal Disease
Gum or periodontal gum disease is a condition that is caused by bacteria found in dental plaque (the sticky substance that forms on your teeth). When your body is exposed to this bacteria, it leads to inflammation and destruction of the gums and other supporting structures in the mouth.
During the early stages of periodontal gum disease (gingivitis), the condition can actually be reversed and cured. However, gingivitis will progress to periodontitis. At that stage, the bony support of your teeth begins to deteriorate. Once that happens, there is no re-growing of lost bone support. The destruction has to be managed to prevent the disease from advancing any further.
Gum disease is a leading cause of tooth loss, and almost 50 percent of Americans have some form of it. Gingivitis and periodontitis are common types of gum disease.
Gingivitis
In this early stage of mild gum disease, plaque and bacteria build up on your teeth. It’s the most common form of gum disease, and it causes inflammation in your gums but it hasn’t progressed to the loss of any bone support of the teeth.
What are the signs and symptoms?
- Bad breath
- Swollen, puffy, or red gums
- Bleeding or tender gums when you brush or floss your teeth
- Tenderness of your gum tissue
Untreated gingivitis will advance to periodontitis.
Periodontitis
If gingivitis is left untreated, over time plaque and calculus will grow beneath the gumline, promote chronic inflammation, and break down the tissue and bone that support your teeth. Once it begins to destroy the bone it is called periodontitis. This is a chronic disease that can continue to progress throughout your life until teeth become loose.
What are the signs and symptoms?
Unfortunately, these symptoms tend to be subtle, allowing this disease to progress silently.
- Bleeding gums
- Chronic bad breath
- Bleeding or tender gums
- Spaces or pockets between your teeth and gums
Symptoms of advanced periodontal disease
When these symptoms appear, it can be too late to save your teeth, though in some cases aggressive treatment can be effective.
- Change in your bite (the way your teeth fit together)
- Progressive gaps or spaces between your teeth
- Pus between your gums and teeth
- Teeth that begin to feel loose
Preventing Gum Disease
Good oral hygiene habits help prevent gum disease.
- Brush your teeth twice daily.
- Daily floss between your teeth to minimize plaque buildup.
- Regularly schedule dental exam and hygiene appointments to remove stubborn calculus. Plaque can be removed at home, but calculus requires the use of professional instruments.
Periodontal Treatment Options
If you’re already experiencing signs or symptoms of gum disease, we provide treatment to protect your teeth and gums.
Deep Cleaning and Scaling
This process removes plaque and tartar from the pockets that inflammation leaves between your teeth and gums. We will smooth your tooth roots to remove toxins. We may eliminate infection below your gumline by treating the area with antibiotics.
Minimally Invasive Soft-Tissue Grafting
Receding gums detract from your smile and make it look older. Dr. Thomas received training from the Center for Advanced Dental Education to use a minimally invasive procedure that regenerates your gum tissue and rejuvenates your smile.
The before-and-after photos below are an example of how soft-tissue grafting improves the appearance of teeth.
Photos courtesy of the Center for Advanced Dental Education
Interested in Periodontal Treatment?
If you want healthier teeth and gums, call us to schedule an appointment with Dr. Thomas or request an appointment online.