Gum disease affects millions of men and women in the U.S. and causes significant tooth loss each year. At The Smiling Dentist, Dr. Monica Bruce offers advanced periodontal disease treatment focused on helping men and women in Baldwin Hills / Crenshaw and throughout Los Angeles, CA, avoid tooth loss and enjoy improved oral health.
Periodontal disease is the medical term for gum disease, the leading cause of tooth loss in American adults.Gum disease is caused by bacteria that build up along the gum line, often “hiding” in or behind hard tartar deposits or sticky plaque. As these bacteria multiply, they emit toxins that cause the gum tissue to pull away from the surface of the teeth and to recede or move farther down the tooth surface, allowing the bacteria to migrate downward to the root pocket. Once inside the root area, the bacteria can cause infections and tooth weakening, eventually leading to tooth loss. The earliest stage of periodontal disease is called gingivitis while the advanced stage is called periodontitis.
In its early stages, gum disease can cause few symptoms, which is one reason why having routine checkups and cleanings are so critically important to oral health. As the disease progresses, it can cause symptoms like:
In its early stages, gum disease may be treated with routine dental cleanings and improvements in home care to remove plaque and bacteria from along the gum line and between teeth. As the disease progresses, deeper cleaning techniques called root planing and scaling form the cornerstone of periodontal treatment, reaching below the gums to remove bacteria in the root pocket and clinging to tooth roots. Planing smooths root surfaces to make it harder for bacteria to “stick.” Special antibiotics may also be applied to the root area to destroy bacteria that are difficult to reach. When gum recession is severe, gum grafting surgery may be necessary to replace lost gum tissue with healthy gum tissue taken from elsewhere in the mouth. Gum grafts build up tissue around the lower portion of the teeth to help protect roots from bacterial buildup in the future.
At The Smiling Dentist, we accept most major insurance plans. Here is a short-list of just some of the most popular plans we accept. Please contact our office if you do not see your insurance provider listed.
"This office has the latest 3D crown and bite matching technology and can make crowns on site out of a blocks of ceramic with their computerized milling machine."
"Dr. Monica Bruce is fabulous, kind, compassionate and professional. She excels in patience and is quite thorough. Her staff is equally kind."
