{"id":351,"date":"2026-06-10T11:03:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T11:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.riverridgesmiles.com\/blog\/?p=351"},"modified":"2026-06-18T23:03:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T23:03:32","slug":"get-gum-disease-treatment-before-cosmetic-dentistry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.riverridgesmiles.com\/blog\/get-gum-disease-treatment-before-cosmetic-dentistry\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Gum Disease Treatment Before Cosmetic Dentistry!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.riverridgesmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AdobeStock_411128722__5___1781817966_57736.jpg\" alt=\"A closeup of a woman\u2019s inflamed gum tissues\" class=\"wp-image-352\" style=\"width:331px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.riverridgesmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AdobeStock_411128722__5___1781817966_57736.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.riverridgesmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AdobeStock_411128722__5___1781817966_57736-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.riverridgesmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AdobeStock_411128722__5___1781817966_57736-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>If you plan to get cosmetic dental work, you likely don&#8217;t want to delay your treatment any longer. The sooner you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riverridgesmiles.com\/cosmetic-dentistry.html\">sport a gorgeous grin<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Remind Me: What is Gum Disease?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For context, it\u2019s best to start by reviewing the basics about gum disease. Why you should treat this ailment before beautifying your smile won\u2019t make sense otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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 &#8211; a bacterial film that gathers due to poor eating and bad oral care. Though the condition starts as \u201cgingivitis\u201d or mild gum inflammation, it eventually progresses into \u201cperiodontitis\u201d or a full-blown infection if left unchecked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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\u2019d need loads of dental work to repair the damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Treat It Before Getting Cosmetic Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your smile\u2019s health matters more than its appearance. Therefore, you\u2019re better off treating your gum disease before you get any cosmetic dentistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All that said, please don\u2019t feel impatient. The flaws you want to hide \u2013 chips, cracks, stains, etc. \u2013 can be hidden once your infection is treated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Can a Dentist Treat Your Gum Disease?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Dentists have several potential ways to treat gum disease, depending on the infection\u2019s severity. However, scaling and root planing \u2013 acting together \u2013 represent the number one method used today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In essence, scaling and root planing are a \u201cdeep cleaning\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Given the points above, please get gum disease treatment before cosmetic dentistry. You and your smile won\u2019t regret the choice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.riverridgesmiles.com\/\">Plaisance &amp; Bostick Family Dentistry<\/a> is based in River Ridge, LA. Led by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riverridgesmiles.com\/meet-dr-plaisance.html\">Drs. Kerry Plaisance<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riverridgesmiles.com\/meet-dr-bostick.html\">Reese Bostick<\/a>, our practice strives to make every patient\u2019s 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\u2019s needs. Whether you\u2019re 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riverridgesmiles.com\/contact-us.html\">our website<\/a> or by phone at <strong>(504)-738-5171<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you plan to get cosmetic dental work, you likely don&#8217;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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Get Gum Disease Treatment Before Cosmetic Dentistry! - Plaisance &amp; Bostick Family Dentistry Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As much as you want a prettier smile, you should get gum disease treatment before cosmetic dentistry. 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