Gum Care

Healthy gums are the foundation of long-term oral health. While brushing and flossing help keep teeth clean and prevent cavities from forming, periodontal care focuses on the deeper supporting structures that support your smile. When gum disease goes untreated, it can lead to inflammation, bone loss, shifting teeth, and eventually tooth loss.

At the Sandia Smiles Dental Center we like to consider gum disease (a.k.a. periodontal disease, or periodontitis) as a silent “tooth-killer” where your mouth doesn’t hurt until it is too late to save a particular tooth. Our dental hygienists work with the dentist to help diagnose, treat, and prevent all stages of periodontal “gum” disease to protect your overall oral health.

Why Gum Care Matters

• Protects Your Smile: Advanced gum disease can weaken the bone and tissues that support your teeth.
• Prevents Tooth Loss: Periodontal treatment helps stabilize teeth and preserve natural bone.
• Reduces Systemic Health Risks: Gum inflammation is linked to heart disease, diabetes, and other medical conditions.
• Enhances Comfort and Confidence: Healthy gums help eliminate bleeding, swelling, and sensitivity.

Periodontal Treatments

If you've been diagnosed with periodontal disease, a simple cleaning (prophylaxis) is typically not going to be enough to treat the disease process in your mouth. There are a variety of treatment options depending on the details of your situation and the severity of the problem. We always start with the least invasive options, which are non-surgical. However, in more serious cases, surgery may be necessary.

Non-Surgical Treatment

The first line of defense against periodontal disease is a unique type of cleaning called “scaling and root planing.” This procedure is sometimes called a “deep cleaning” because it cleans the root surfaces and deeper pockets below the gums and around the teeth. In this procedure, an ultrasonic cleaning device is used to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth where regular cleaning devices can't reach: under the gum line, on the tooth, and around the root. Then, the rough surface of the tooth and the root are smoothed out (planed). This provides a healthy, clean surface that makes it easier for the gum tissue to reattach to the tooth.

If you address your gum disease before it becomes severe, scaling and root planing may be the only treatment you need. However, as with any dental procedure, after-care is vital. In order to keep your teeth in good shape and resist future occurrences of gum disease, you must brush and floss daily, eat a healthy diet, avoid tobacco use, and have regular dental checkups. Even after a successful scaling and root planing, if you don't attend to your teeth properly, it's quite likely that you'll develop gum disease again.

Surgical Treatment Options

If the gums or bone around your teeth are too damaged for non-surgical care, we may recommend you see a gum specialist called a periodontist for potential surgical procedures to stop further damage and help restore your smile. They will recommend the treatment that best fits your needs. Below are the most common types of periodontal surgery:

• Surgical Pocket Depth Reduction
• Regeneration
• Soft-Tissue Graft
• Laser Therapy