Gum Disease Treatment in Bakersfield and Valencia, CA
Treating infection and inflammation to protect the gums and bone that support your teeth.
What periodontal disease actually is
Gum disease is a bacterial infection of the tissue and bone that hold your teeth in place. It begins as gingivitis, which is inflammation of the gum alone and is fully reversible. Once the infection passes below the gum line and starts dissolving bone, it becomes periodontitis, and the bone that is lost does not grow back on its own.
The reason it goes unnoticed for years is that it rarely hurts. Bleeding when you brush, gums that have pulled back, persistent bad breath and teeth that feel loose or have started to drift are the signals worth acting on.
How it is diagnosed
A periodontal examination measures the depth of the pocket around every tooth, records where the gum has receded, checks each tooth for mobility, and compares that against radiographs showing the bone level. Those numbers, taken together, are the diagnosis. They also give us a baseline to measure treatment against.
You will be shown your own chart. It is your mouth, and the numbers are not difficult to read once someone explains them.
Treatment
Most cases start non surgically, with scaling and root planing. The root surfaces below the gum line are cleaned of bacterial deposits and smoothed so the tissue can reattach. It is done under local anesthesia, usually over one or two visits, and for a great many patients that is the whole of it.
Where deep pockets persist after healing, surgical access allows the roots to be cleaned properly and the bone to be reshaped or grafted. After active treatment ends, periodontal maintenance at a shorter interval than a standard cleaning is what keeps the disease from coming back.
Signs worth an examination
- Gums that bleed when you brush or floss
- Gums that have receded or look longer than they used to
- Persistent bad breath or a bad taste
- Teeth that feel loose, or a bite that has changed
- Pus or tenderness around a tooth
- A family history of losing teeth to gum disease
Common questions
Is scaling and root planing the same as a cleaning?
No. A cleaning removes deposits above and just below the gum line. Scaling and root planing is a therapeutic procedure that cleans the root surface deep inside the pocket, and it is done with the area numbed.
Will my bone grow back?
Bone that has been lost does not return by itself. Treatment stops the loss, and in selected sites a bone graft or regenerative procedure can rebuild some of what was lost. Whether that is possible depends on the shape of the defect.
How often will I need maintenance visits?
More often than a standard six month recall, because the pockets that remain repopulate with bacteria faster than healthy tissue does. The interval is set from your own chart, not from a rule.
Ask about gum disease at either office.
Your consultation includes a thorough examination, review of the necessary X-rays, and a clear explanation of what we find. We'll walk you through your options, answer your questions, and help you understand what comes next.
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PMUrgent periodontal problems are triaged by phone during office hours.
- Bakersfield
- (661) 425-05701010 Calloway Drive, Suite 200B
Bakersfield, CA 93312 - Valencia
- (661) 425-056023501 Cinema Drive, Suite 207
Valencia, CA 91355