When you think of oral health, there’s a good chance that you think of your teeth first and foremost. But if you want to learn more about why your gum health is so important, schedule a visit to George A. Hoop, DDS during Gum Disease Awareness month or any other time by calling us at (239) 594-8817.
We offer a wide range of general dentistry treatments and much more at both our North Naples, FL dentist office and our Fort Myers, FL dentist office. Regardless of which one you visit, we can evaluate your periodontal health and provide a gum disease treatment if necessary. By keeping your smile’s foundation in good shape, you may just:
- Avoid dental troubles in the future, including potentially losing teeth
- Keep your gumline pink and beautiful
- Save yourself time and money in the long run by avoiding extensive and costly restorative dentistry treatments
Our own Dr. Hoop has both a general dental degree and a specialty degree in periodontics, which is a field in dentistry dedicated to the gums. You can trust the know-how and experience he and the rest of our team bring to the table when it comes to keeping your whole mouth healthy.
We offer several options to make paying for your dental care as stress-free as possible. For instance, if you are in need of extensive treatments, like ongoing gum health maintenance in the case of severe gum disease, you can take advantage of our Direct Dental Savings Plan.
This option gives you discounts on various services and is a great fit for patients that either don’t have dental insurance or are sick of the frustrations of dealing with insurance companies.
We also accept many other payment options, including third-party financing through companies like CareCredit and Lending Club.
Let Us Teach You About Gum Disease Awareness Month
Did you know that – according to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – roughly half of all Americans have gum disease to some degree or another? Here’s another question: are you aware that gum disease is the number one cause of adult tooth loss?
Because periodontal disease is so widespread and can be such a serious oral health problem if left unchecked, the Institute for Advanced Laser Dentistry (IALD) launched an awareness campaign in 2012 that we now know as Gum Disease Awareness Month.
Gum disease, also known as periodontitis or periodontal disease, can affect patients of any age if proper oral health is not maintained, but here are some demographic breakdowns regarding American adults specifically to put the numbers in perspective:
- 8.7% have mild periodontitis
- 30% have moderate periodontitis
- 8.5% have severe periodontitis
- 47.2% aged 30 years and older have periodontal disease to some degree
- The likelihood of developing periodontitis increases with age with 70.1% of adults 65 years and older experiencing it
Just in case you’re wondering what causes gum disease in the first place, the issue arises when bad bacteria in your mouth gets between your gumline and your tooth roots and causes an infection. If caught in the early stages, the condition is easily reversed with two special processes called:
- Scaling, which allows us to remove plaque and tartar buildup from your tooth roots using a special tool
- Root planing, which is a process of smoothing your tooth roots so that their surface is less hospitable for bad bacteria to build-up again
If we do determine that you are in need of a gum disease treatment, we will use state-of-the-art dental technology to assess your situation and plan accordingly. Some of the technology we use will also be helpful to you. For example, thanks to our intraoral cameras, we can show you a close-up view of your mouth so you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about.
If there’s any chance of discomfort during a given procedure, we will numb your mouth with an anesthetic before we begin. For patients that need some help relieving dental anxiety, we can also administer dental sedation options, such as:
- Nitrous oxide, more commonly known as “laughing gas”
- Oral conscious sedation in the form of a pill
Stop wondering if you have gum disease or not and visit George A. Hoop, DDS today to find out for sure. Give us a call at (239) 594-8817 or use our handy online form to schedule or ask a team member questions.