Gum Disease Therapy in Chicago, IL

Gum Disease Therapy

The Federal Drug Administration notes that 75% of Americans over age 35 have some form of periodontal (gum) disease, which isn't apparent at first, and that's the problem. Undetected, it can travel throughout the body to negatively affect your overall well-being, putting you at risk for osteoporosis, dementia, heart attack, stroke, respiratory problems, diabetes' complications, low infant birth weight, and more. 

Targeted Treatments

• "Gingivitis" is the early stage of gum disease, remedied with proper brushing and flossing at home, and a thorough professional cleaning by our hygiene team. 
• For the advanced stage of gingivitis or early gum disease, topical antibiotic therapy treats the diseases' bacterial infection, which can cause tooth attachment loss and eventual loss. 
• "Periodontitis" is the worst stage of gum disease, with severe damage to gum tissue, teeth, and bone, alleviated with non-surgical or surgical techniques which promote gum-to-tooth attachment for teeth retention. 

Diode Laser Bacterial Reduction

Always advancing the standard of patient care, we are now pleased to offer "Diode Laser Bacterial Reduction" to our professional teeth cleaning regimen, helping to reverse the progress of the gum diseases, gingivitis and periodontitis.

Bacterial plaque and hardened tartar cause the soft tissue's inflammation that eventually leads to bone destruction, and is treated with the traditional hand instrumentation and ultrasonic scaling. For specific conditions of the disease, our diode laser bacterial reduction treatment is recommended for three major reasons:

1. To reduce or eliminate bacteria. During the professional teeth cleaning process, most patients have sensitive areas prone to bleed, allowing bacteria (pathogens) that are present in our mouths to flood into the bloodstream, often settling in the weakened areas of our body, such as a damaged heart valve, artificial knee, hip ect. Those patients are pre-medicated with antibiotics, so bacteria cannot cause harm to these areas. 
2. To prevent spread of infections. Infections in one area of your mouth can spread to other areas. Decontamination minimizes the chance.
3. To make the treatment more comfortable. Without the diode laser, those with a history of periodontal disease have attachment loss leading to pain, whereas with its use, it's more comfortable around sensitive root surfaces. 

Laser-Assisted Periodontal Therapy

Periodontal disease has been linked to several systemic diseases, including:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Low birth weight and pre-term birth babies
• Pulmonary diseases
• Obesity
• Pancreatic Cancer

At Water Tower Dental Care, our hygiene team now uses ultrasonic scalers together with the soft tissue dental laser that delivers light energy directly to the periodontal pocket and infected site to kill bacteria, in addition to: 

• Reducing the bacterial count within the pocket
• Coagulate diseased tissue for removal
• Reduce the need for chemotherapeutics in some cases

Signs of periodontal disease include bleeding gums, increased pocket depths, recession, bone loss, and tooth mobility, often resulting in tooth loss. As the pocket depths increase, so does the accumulation of both hard and soft debris, creating the perfect opportunity for periodontal disease to progress.

To determine the necessary treatment, a full periodontal assessment is required and should include notation of all the factors mentioned above.

Saliva Diagnostic Testing

We are pleased to announce the availability of three (3) laboratory tests relating to oral health conditions such as:

• Gum Disease, caused by bacteria and inflammation, which can result in tooth loss, afflicts over 50% of Americans in one form or another
• Oral Cancer, which can be caused by the virus HPV occuring most often in non-smokers with limited alcohol consumption, and another type of oral cancer occurring in smokers with heavy alcohol consumption. The OraRisk HPV test indicates whether or not you have the HPV infection, and if tested positive, you have a greater risk of acquiring HPV-related oral cancer. It's essential to detect oral cancer early in its developement, and knowing through this test that you have the infection alerts us to watch your condition very closely. We hightly recommend this test if you are a non-smoker with limited alcohol consumption. 
• DNA Changes, detected by the MyPerioID PST test, which might indicate you have a greater risk of developing gum disease, or confirms its presence. Furthur, it identifies the type of bacteria and its levels, and the correct antibiotic to use, allowing us to design an effective treatment plan for your specific conditions. If your gum disease has not reponded to other treatments, this test is highly recommended. 
• MyPerioPath, test is for patients who actually have gum disease. It determines which bacteria are triggering the gum disease. Once we know which bacteria are in your mouth and at what levels, we can come up with a treatment plan that’s right for you. For example, this information can help us select the right antibiotic for you. We highly recommend this test if you have gum disease that has not responded to previous treatment.

 

All three of these tests use a saliva sample, which is collected in our office. Simply swish a sterile saline (salt) solution in your mouth and spit into a furnished container. The sample is sent to the laboratory for testing, and after receiving the results, we'll advise how they affect your oral health. We'll answer all your questions and/or concerns, and recommend the tests that we feel should be taken. 

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