Expert Treatment For Gum Disease

Understanding Our Functional Approach To Gum Care

Nearly half of all American adults have at least some form of gum (periodontal) disease. And while the first stage, gingivitis, is reversible, more advanced stages of gum disease can cause permanent damage to your teeth and gums.

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At Potrero Hill Dental, our team is here to help with advanced gum disease treatment in San Francisco. We use a functional, science-guided approach and technology like Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) and salivary testing to provide the best possible outcome for every patient who walks into our office.

What Is Gum Disease?

Gum disease happens when bacteria-filled plaque and tartar build up between your gums and teeth. This is primarily caused by poor oral hygiene, though there are often other contributing factors like smoking, consuming lots of sugar, or uncontrolled diabetes.

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Over time, the bacteria in plaque and tartar will start to attack the gum tissue. This causes only minor symptoms at first, gum disease eventually results in permanent damage to the gums, teeth, and jawbone if it’s left untreated.

Understanding The Stages Of Gum Disease

Gum disease is usually split into four stages. Each stage has more serious symptoms that you may start to experience as your condition continues to worsen. 

• Gingivitis – Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease. It’s reversible, and usually only has minor symptoms like bleeding when brushing and inflamed, swollen gums. With proper care, you can eliminate it entirely and reverse its effects.‍
• Early periodontitis – Once gum disease progresses into periodontitis, it cannot be fully reversed, but it can be controlled to prevent further damage. In early periodontitis, the infection has begun to attack your gums and teeth. You start to notice symptoms like bad breath (halitosis) and tooth and gum sensitivity.‍
• Moderate periodontitis – In this stage of gum disease, you may start to notice much more significant symptoms like a change in how your teeth fit together, severe tooth and gum sensitivity, and gum recession (teeth look longer).‍
• Advanced periodontitis – In the final stage of gum disease, the infection has caused serious damage to your gums, teeth, and jawbone. You may notice loose teeth, pus buildup between the teeth and gums, and serious pain while chewing. Your teeth may even start to fall out.

Our Functional Approach To Gum Disease Treatment

The sooner you get help for periodontal disease, the better your outcome will be. At Potrero Hill Dental, we use a functional approach to gum disease treatment. This means that Dr. Ly, Dr. Choi, and our other dentists won’t just focus on your gum disease alone.

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Instead, we will take the time to learn more about your overall health history, personal habits, lifestyle, and your past oral health challenges. This helps us develop a more accurate picture of your overall well-being. In turn, we can use this information to provide more effective gum disease treatment in San Francisco.

Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) with EMS Airflow

At Potrero Hill Dental, we follow the Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) approach for biofilm removal. This means we use an EMS Airflow device for teeth cleanings and for gum disease cleanings. Compared to traditional cleanings, EMS Airflow offers superior biofilm removal performance, enhanced comfort, and many other benefits.

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This device uses a stream of water, air, and xylitol powder to remove biofilm from your teeth, as well as the Piezon attachment to remove tartar buildup from between your teeth. Regular teeth cleanings are essential for preventing gum disease, and EMS Airflow can also simplify the process of periodontal maintenance for patients with gum disease.

Salivary testing

We offer advanced salivary testing for patients with gum disease. With salivary testing, our dentists can get unprecedented insights into your oral health and your overall health, too. We can identify specific types of bacteria, measure biomarkers related to your oral health, and gather a lot of other helpful information to guide your treatment.

Get Help With Gum Disease In San Francisco

The sooner you get gum disease treatment, the more likely it is that you can halt its progression, save your teeth, and get your oral health back on track. So don’t wait. Our dental team, led by Dr. Nancy Lyand Dr. Jane Choi, is here to help. Give At Potrero Hill Dental a call at (415) 890-4449 or book your visit online to get the expert periodontal care you need in San Francisco.