Exam, digital X-rays and a basic cleaning. New patients with healthy gums.
Book the $65 visitBleeding gums aren't normal. Call us now, not at your next checkup.
Gum disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss, and it rarely hurts until it's advanced. At our Tamarac office we measure your gums, find the stage and treat it, from a cleaning for early gingivitis to a deep cleaning for periodontitis.
Gingivitis, the early stage, is fully reversible with a professional cleaning and better home care. Periodontitis means the infection has reached the bone that holds your teeth, and that bone loss is permanent. Treatment stops it but can't grow bone back, which is why bleeding gums are worth a call now.
Gum disease is quiet. It rarely hurts until it is advanced, which is why so many people reach the dentist already past the reversible stage.
One or two of these signs is a reason to book an exam. Loose teeth or a change in your bite means calling this week.
Watch for
The difference between the stages is often a few months.
Tartar along the gum line inflames the gums. Nothing is permanent yet, and a cleaning plus home care usually clears it within weeks.
Pockets form below the gum line, deepening from a healthy 1 to 3 millimeters to about 4 or 5, and a little bone is lost.
Pockets deepen, more bone is lost, gums recede and teeth loosen. Treatment stops the damage and saves what is left.
Treatment matches the stage, and it almost always starts conservatively.
We measure the pockets around each tooth and take X-rays to see the bone level. That is what separates gingivitis from periodontitis.
Removing plaque and tartar above and just below the gum line, plus better home technique, usually settles the gums within a few weeks.
Scaling removes tartar below the gum line and root planing smooths the roots so the gums can reattach. The area is numbed, often over two visits.
Cleanings every three to four months keep bacteria from refilling the pockets. Skipping them is the most common reason gum disease comes back.
Costs vary with severity and how many areas are involved. As a general guide in Broward County, an exam with X-rays commonly runs $150 to $350, a routine cleaning $85 to $200, and a deep cleaning $150 to $400 per quadrant, with a full mouth being four quadrants.
Only an exam produces a real number, because only an exam shows how many quadrants are involved. New patients can start with our $65 visit: exam, digital X-rays and a basic cleaning.
Twice a day, angling the bristles toward the gum line instead of scrubbing straight across.
Floss, interdental brushes or a water flosser. The one you will actually use is the right one.
If you're on cleanings every three or four months, that interval is part of the treatment.
If medications leave your mouth dry, tell us. There are practical fixes, and dry mouth speeds up gum disease.
High blood sugar worsens gum disease, and gum infection makes blood sugar harder to control.
It's the biggest risk you can control, and it hides bleeding, so the disease goes unnoticed longer.
Gingivitis, the early stage, is fully reversible with a professional cleaning and consistent brushing and flossing, usually within a few weeks. Once it progresses to periodontitis and bone is lost, that loss is permanent, but treatment stops the disease and stabilizes your teeth.
The area is numbed first, so the procedure itself shouldn't hurt, and most patients say the anticipation was worse. Expect some tenderness and sensitivity to hot and cold for a few days. It's usually split across two visits.
It depends on severity. An exam with X-rays commonly runs $150 to $350, a routine cleaning $85 to $200, and a deep cleaning roughly $150 to $400 per quadrant. Only an exam can tell you how many quadrants are involved.
After treatment for periodontitis, the pockets around your teeth are deeper than normal and bacteria refill them faster. A three to four month interval keeps them from settling back in.
Not until the gum disease is treated and stable. Implants fuse to the jawbone and need healthy bone and tissue around them. We treat the gums first, then plan implants, and bone grafting may be discussed if bone has been lost.
Yes. Painless bleeding is the classic sign of early gum disease, and the lack of pain is what makes it easy to ignore. Healthy gums don't bleed during normal brushing or flossing.
Google reviews from patients of our Tamarac office.
An exam with digital X-rays tells you whether you need a cleaning or a treatment plan, and the answer is often better than people fear. New patients: exam, X-rays and a basic cleaning for $65.
