Options for Treating Periodontics

As many of our patients may already know, periodontitis is not just a threat to your dental wellbeing but your overall health as well. More commonly known as gum disease, periodontitis is an insidious disease which begins when the bacteria in your mouth build up and release toxins. The toxins attack the surfaces close to your gum line and can usher in a variety of health problems. After compromising your gum tissue enough, the bacteria can enter your body through the bloodstream, creating infection and inflammation throughout the body. Additionally, as the disease progresses, your teeth loosen, your gums are unstable, and you are at risk for tooth and bone loss. This is why proper dental care is necessary during all stages of your life.

Gum disease has several levels of severity and therefore our periodontist in San Francisco offers patients numerous treatment options.

TREATMENT FOR EARLY STAGE GUM DISEASE:
• Gum disease in its earliest form is also known as gingivitis. This initial form of the disease is known for symptoms like inflamed or swollen gums, bleeding gums when eating or brushing your teeth, and chronic bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth.

Fortunately, gingivitis is reversible. Your first course of treatment is called scaling and root planing. This treatment involves a deep cleaning to remove plaque, tarter, and diseased tissue at and below the gumline. To maintain healthy gums, you should practice diligent oral health care at home.

• A more developed form of gum disease is chronic periodontal disease. The hallmarks of this stage of gum disease include prominently bleeding gums, inflammation, and a receding gum line.

Patients with this form of gum disease need more treatment than a deep dental cleaning. You may receive antimicrobial therapies to stop the progression of the disease. Because the gums and jawbones are affected by the infection, our dentist may choose to do pocket reduction surgery or tissue grafts.

• Aggressive periodontal disease is the hardest gum disease to treat because it progresses extremely quickly. Patients experience bone loss and gum detachment.

Surgical intervention is usually necessary to keep any healthy bone and tissue. Laser treatments, bone grafts, and tissue regeneration are options that can save your smile.


If you have signs of gum disease, do not delay in seeking treatment. When caught in the early stages, gum disease is curable. For more information or an appointment, please contact our office. 

What are Invisalign Aligners Made of?

In our dental office, we see new techniques and treatments as well as the happy reactions of the patients who try the new advances. Few new devices have gained the level of popularity that we see in the Invisalign system.

Invisalign began more than twenty years ago, yet it is still gaining popularity with patients requesting more consultations about the system than all of the other orthodontic options combined.

Our Invisalign dentist in Huntington Beach credits the success of the aligners to its comfort and the fact that it delivers on its promise to be nearly invisible. In our society, we have a premium on our image, so many adults who want straighter teeth and a beautiful smile rejects the traditional wire and metal braces in favor of Invisalign and its system of alignment trays.

Invisalign has numerous positive features that our patients like.
• The system is removable, so those who wear the aligners do not have strict limitations regarding food and drink.

• Invisalign is comfortable. A few patients report an adjustment period of one or two days, but the majority of Invisalign wearers say they do not notice the alignment trays.

• Patients say it is easy to track your progress with Invisalign because the results are present each time the aligners are not on the teeth.

• Invisalign is nearly invisible.

Our patients are always impressed by how such a thin and discreet tray can correct misaligned teeth. They often ask what materials are used to make Invisalign’s clear and lightweight alignment trays.

The Invisalign makers use top of the line medical grade plastic to create the alignment trays. The plastic is polyurethane, and the United States Pharmacopeia also known as the USP approves of the plastic finding it is biocompatible with humans, making it safe for human use in the mouth. Invisalign manufacturers the aligners in a high-tech facility specializing in medical manufacturing.

If you would like to learn more about Invisalign, please feel free to contact our office and make an appointment for a no-obligation consultation.