If you plan to get cosmetic dental work, you likely don’t want to delay your treatment any longer. The sooner you sport a gorgeous grin, the better; why wait around? Still, you should have your gum disease (if present) treated first to avoid later complications. Your River Ridge dentist will even explain why, ensuring you know that the wait is worthwhile. Simply read this primer on why to get gum disease treatment before cosmetic dentistry.
Remind Me: What is Gum Disease?
For context, it’s best to start by reviewing the basics about gum disease. Why you should treat this ailment before beautifying your smile won’t make sense otherwise.
Gum disease is simply an infection of your gums, which are the soft tissues around your teeth. As such, it usually stems from an excessive buildup of plaque – a bacterial film that gathers due to poor eating and bad oral care. Though the condition starts as “gingivitis” or mild gum inflammation, it eventually progresses into “periodontitis” or a full-blown infection if left unchecked.
Needless to say, gum disease is a major threat to your oral health. It has the potential to make your gums recede, cause your jaw to shrink, and even force your teeth to fall out. Should such effects occur, you’d need loads of dental work to repair the damage.
Why Treat It Before Getting Cosmetic Work?
Your smile’s health matters more than its appearance. Therefore, you’re better off treating your gum disease before you get any cosmetic dentistry.
Putting aside the risk of letting gum disease linger, getting cosmetic work first might hide your ailment from view. Aesthetic treatments like porcelain veneers and dental crowns can obscure smile flaws associated with a gum infection. If or when they do, your dentist might struggle to fix your gums later.
All that said, please don’t feel impatient. The flaws you want to hide – chips, cracks, stains, etc. – can be hidden once your infection is treated.
How Can a Dentist Treat Your Gum Disease?
Dentists have several potential ways to treat gum disease, depending on the infection’s severity. However, scaling and root planing – acting together – represent the number one method used today.
In essence, scaling and root planing are a “deep cleaning” of your gums and tooth roots. The scaling removes the built-up plaque (and tartar) from beneath the gum line, while the root planing smooths the roots of your teeth. Once completed, they can either reverse your gum disease or (at least) better manage it.
Given the points above, please get gum disease treatment before cosmetic dentistry. You and your smile won’t regret the choice!
About the Practice
Plaisance & Bostick Family Dentistry is based in River Ridge, LA. Led by Drs. Kerry Plaisance and Reese Bostick, our practice strives to make every patient’s smile beautiful and strong. This commitment leads us to offer a wide range of top-tier dental services, with each treatment tailored to your mouth’s needs. Whether you’re after gum disease treatment, cosmetic dentistry, both, or more, we have you covered! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (504)-738-5171.