If you have recently been diagnosed with gum disease, you might have heard your dentist talk about periodontal gum pockets. What does it mean if you have periodontal pockets, how they diagnosed and how they treated?
Could you benefit from pocket elimination surgery for gum disease? Comfort Smiles Dentistry is proud to serve New Orleans and the surrounding areas with effective pocket elimination surgery as well as a full range of periodontal services. We have an experienced periodontal staff extensively trained to help patients with gum disease.
Our goal is to eliminate the disease that destroys gum tissue before it progresses to more serious problems. Comfort Smiles Dentistry is a unique family dental practice equipped with a full line of dental services, providing patients with the expertise to handle every aspect of your smile in one convenient location. We are dedicated to providing top quality dental care in a warm and comfortable environment. If you have gum disease, a pocket elimination surgery could help you by removing the deep periodontal pockets that accumulate destructive plaque and calculus in your gums.
When you visit Comfort Smiles, your smile is our top priority. Dr. DuBois and his dental team are dedicated to providing you with the personalized, gentle care that you deserve. Our dentist provides general, restorative and cosmetic dental services designed to assist each patient in achieving and maintaining long-term dental health and a beautiful smile.
Periodontal gum pockets develop as a result of gum disease or periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection that initially affects your gums but which can cause extensive damage to the other structures surrounding your teeth which include connective tissues such as ligaments, and the bone around your teeth. This bacterial infection is normally due to poor oral hygiene that allows the levels of bacteria to build up to such an extent that your immune system is no longer able to fight back. Each day your teeth become covered with a sticky layer of plaque bacteria and if this plaque biofilm isn’t removed through regular brushing and flossing it will soon harden into tartar. Both plaque and tartar produce toxins that inflame and infect your gums.
As your gums become inflamed they will gradually begin to pull away from your teeth, causing gaps to form in between your teeth in your gums which are called periodontal pockets or gum pockets. These pockets create the perfect breeding ground for more bacteria, allowing a periodontal disease to progress even more freely.
Initially, you might begin to notice your teeth look longer than before as gum recession takes hold. Your tooth roots may even become exposed as the pockets begin to deepen. Ideally, it is best to visit a periodontist for a proper diagnosis and this is where Comfort Smiles Dentistry can help you. Our periodontists can quickly diagnose the problem and will carefully measure the depth of your periodontal pockets using a special probe. Healthy gums have a pocket depth of between 1 mm and 3 mm whereas gums infected by periodontal disease can have a pocket depth of 5 mm or more. By gently probing your gums, we can assess the progression of this disease.
The aim of treatment is to help reduce the depth of periodontal gum pockets by removing the bacterial infection. When we remove the bacteria in these periodontal pockets, your body has a much greater chance of being able to fight the infection and to heal your gums. These periodontal gum pockets can also be pretty deep and are nearly impossible to keep clean through regular brushing and flossing so it is very important that we reduce their depth. Once bacteria are removed, your gums should gradually begin to look healthier and stronger, and as your gum pockets reduce your gums will begin to fit more snugly around your teeth.
If you think you might need Periodontal Pocket Treatment, please contact our New Orleans Pocket Elimination Surgery Specialists today to schedule a periodontal exam at Comfort Smiles Dentistry. We have the expertise and state-of-the-art equipment you need and the experience of successful results you can trust for periodontal treatment. Our office welcomes patients of all ages and we accept most dental insurance plans. At Comfort Smiles Dentistry, we look forward to helping you regain a confident, healthy smile!
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