What is non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy?

Have you noticed bleeding from gums while brushing? Are your gums irritated and swollen? These are all signs of gum disease. Gum disease is one of the most common dental issues in people and it is often caused due to poor oral hygiene routine. The gum disease can also affect your teeth and make them to fall out.

There are two types of approaches used by the dentist for treating gum disease, the surgical and non-surgical. Here’s a Look at some information on both of them:

How Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy Works

This approach of treating gum disease consists of deep cleaning. The process is used for cleaning deep under the gum line for removing hardened bacterial plaque and other bacterial deposits. The dentist in Anchorage, AK will first numb the area which he intends to clean. It takes only a little bit of anaesthesia to help the patient feel relaxed. The periodontist in Anchorage 99503 will then clean the area above and below the gum line and remove plaque and tartar. This process will leave your root surface smooth and non-plaque retentive. After the cleaning process, the gums can heal and size of periodontal pockets can reduce.

Depending on your situation, the scaling and root canal treatment can take one or multiple visits. It will be decided on the basis of the extent of your gum disease. The dentist may also use antibiotic or antiseptic therapy.

What This Means for You

These treatments are great at stopping the gum disease from damaging your smile. However, if the gum disease has advanced, you may need minor surgery to access the deeply hidden and hardened deposits. If you notice any symptoms of the gum disease that have been discussed earlier, it is time for you to seek medical help from a dentist. The sooner you go to a dentist, the better the chances of preventing the disease from escalating and damaging your dental health. Also, when the disease is in its early stage, conservative ways of treatment can be used instead of surgical procedures which become a must in case of advanced gum disease.

Benefits of Dental Sealants for Your Child

It can take kids a while before they get the hand of brushing and flossing. Large back teeth like the molars and pre-molars provide a fertile breeding ground for bacteria and are tough to keep thoroughly clean. However, your dentist in Anchorage offers a solution. Dental sealants do exactly what their name implies. They seal the teeth away from exposure to decay-causing bacteria. By preventing bacteria from damaging enamel, your child will enjoy dental sealant’s big benefit—no cavities.

Dental sealants are made of a thin, tough plastic liquid that’s painted onto the teeth, especially the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. The sealant liquid fills in the many nooks and crannies on the tooth’s surface, making sure the teeth are well-protected, filling in the fissures and grooves that are found on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth.

Why Get Dental Sealants for your Child?

Dental sealants prevent cavities. That’s the number one benefit from getting sealants. The best candidates for dental sealants are school-aged children and teens, although baby teeth can also benefit from dental sealants. Adults who haven’t had fillings in their molars and lacked any decay may also have sealants.

Getting dental sealants from Anchorage Dental Arts, LLC in Anchorage is a simple process.

  • The targeted teeth are cleaned and disinfected, then dried.
  • A weak acidic solution is applied onto the chewing surfaces of the targeted teeth to give them a slightly roughened texture. This helps the bonding solution adhere.
  • The teeth are rinsed, then dried.
  • The liquid plastic dental sealant is painted onto each tooth.
  • Some dental sealants require a special light to harden off and cure the sealant.

How Long Will My Child’s Sealants Last?

Sealants can last for 10 years. However, when you visit us at Anchorage Dental Arts, LLC in Anchorage for your child’s yearly exam, we’ll check on their condition then. Chewing on hard substances like ice or hard candy wears away dental sealants and can chip them. It’s possible to get the work areas recovered and touched up.

Will Insurance Cover the Cost of my Child’s Sealants?

Insurance generally covers the costs of dental sealants for people under age 18.

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