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Periodontics Specialist

Parissa Djafari, DDS

General and Cosmetic Dentistry & Dental Implants located in Riverside, CA

It’s easy to forget about your gums when your teeth get all the attention, but healthy gums are a vital part of a healthy smile. At her practice in Riverside, California, Parissa Djafari, DDS, provides exceptional periodontics services for her patients. Schedule your periodontics appointment today by calling the office or booking a visit online to make your entire smile healthy.

Periodontics

What is periodontics?

Periodontics is a dental specialty that focuses on the health of your periodontium, the system of oral tissues that make sure your teeth are held firmly in place in your mouth.

Your periodontium is made up of your cementum (which encases your tooth roots), your periodontal ligaments (which connect your cementum to your alveolar bone), and your gums, which cover your alveolar bone (the ridge of your jawbone that holds the roots of your teeth).

One of the more common procedures in periodontics is the treatment of periodontal (gum) disease.

What is gum disease?

When bacteria infect your gum tissue, you’re said to have gum disease. It develops when you let plaque and tartar sit on your teeth for too long. Plaque and tartar are full of bacteria and acids that are irritating and harmful to your gum tissue, which leaves them inflamed and infected.

When gum disease is left untreated, it can easily lead to tooth loss and a wide range of health issues in other areas of your body, including:

  • Diabetes
  • Heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Pregnancy complications
  • Osteoporosis
  • Respiratory disease

Don’t let gum disease damage your smile or body. Schedule a consultation with the team today.

What are the different stages of gum disease?

Gum disease happens in two stages:

Gingivitis

In gingivitis, plaque and tartar on your teeth have just begun to irritate your gum tissue, which reacts by becoming inflamed and swollen. Your gums might bleed when you brush them, but the effects of gingivitis are entirely reversible with simple professional cleanings and improved at-home care.

Periodontitis

Without treatment, gingivitis eventually develops into periodontitis. In periodontitis, your gums become so irritated from the plaque and tartar that they begin to pull away from your teeth, creating pockets that deepen and become infected, eating away at the tissues holding your teeth in place. Eventually, those tissues deteriorate entirely and your teeth fall out.

What are the symptoms of gum disease?

Gum disease can cause any of the following symptoms:

  • Gums that are swollen, tender, and red
  • Bleeding gums
  • Painful gums
  • Longer-looking teeth
  • Bad breath that won’t go away
  • Loose teeth or a change in how your bite feels
  • Pus between your teeth

Many times, these symptoms don’t become noticeable until your gum disease has already progressed into its more advanced stages. Because of that, it’s very important to maintain regular cleanings and checkups with the team, who is trained to spot signs of gum disease at its earliest stages.

How do you treat gum disease?

If your gum disease is still in the gingivitis stage, the team can reverse it with more frequent professional cleanings. If your gum disease has progressed to periodontitis, the first line of treatment is usually a deep cleaning called scaling and root planing.

In scaling and root planing, the team numbs your mouth with a local anesthetic, then uses a special tool to remove your plaque, tartar, and toxins from above and below your gumline (scaling). They then smooth out any rough spots on the root surfaces of your teeth (planing) to make it more difficult for plaque and tartar to build up.

Schedule your visit with the team by calling the office or booking online today to get your gums healthy.