Frequently Asked Dental Questions

Learning More About Periodontal Care

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you’re seeing a specialist for gum disease treatment or implant placement. You’re sure to have plenty of questions about the process, and Dr. Provines strives to answer them. Below are some of the questions that are often on our patients’ minds when they visit our dental office. Please reach out to us via phone or email if you have a question that isn’t answered here, or bring it up during your next appointment. 

Can Gum Disease Be Fully Cured?

That depends on which stage it’s currently in. Gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease, can be reversed with a thorough cleaning, and you can improve your brushing and flossing habits to prevent infections in the future. Once gum disease has progressed to periodontitis, it cannot be completely cured; it can, however, still be treated. We’ll perform scaling and root planing along with other treatments in order to keep your gum disease under control and preserve your overall oral health.

How Do I Know If I Have Gum Disease?

Common symptoms of gum disease include:

  • Red, swollen gums
  • Bleeding whenever you brush or chew something hard
  • Bad breath that doesn’t go away
  • Shrinking gums that cause the teeth to look longer
  • Tooth sensitivity
  • Wiggling or shifting teeth

Get in touch with us immediately if you notice any of these warning signs; the sooner gum disease is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat.

Will Periodontal Treatment Hurt?

Our dental office offers multiple forms of sedation to keep you comfortable during your periodontal treatments. We also use soft tissue lasers in place of traditional metal instruments, which helps keep discomfort to a minimum. As a result, the treatment itself will involve little if any pain. Depending on the procedure, you might experience some discomfort during the recovery process, but we’ll give you advice on pain management beforehand.

Am I a Candidate for Dental Implants?

You’re considered a potential candidate for implants if you’ve lost any number of teeth or are due for an extraction. That said, we’ll need to check your gums and jawbone to determine whether implants are truly viable. Periodontal therapy, bone grafts, and other preparatory procedures might be required beforehand.

Will I Need Bone Grafts for My Dental Implants?

A bone graft is performed if your jaw has lost bone density to the point that it can’t currently support an implant post. The procedure will encourage the development of new bone tissue so that the implant can be safely placed. However, it may not be necessary for patients who still have a healthy level of bone density; we’ll need to perform an examination before determining whether grafting should be part of the implant process.

How Reliable are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are known to have an extremely high success rate, thanks in no small part to the modern technology and techniques used to place them. You can generally expect the posts to support your smile for many decades – possibly the rest of your life. That said, keep an eye out for warning signs of implant failure, such as loose posts or swollen gums, so that you can get in touch with us immediately if you have to. We’ll determine the root of the problem and quickly develop a plan to salvage your implants and keep your smile whole.