Gum Disease Treatment in Roanoke, VA

Bleeding gums, persistent bad breath, gum recession, tenderness and loose or shifting teeth can be signs that the tissues supporting your teeth need attention. Gum disease often progresses without significant pain, which means many people do not realize they have it until damage has already occurred.

LAT Dentistry provides comprehensive gum-health evaluations and nonsurgical periodontal care in Roanoke, Virginia. Whether you visit the dentist regularly or have not received dental care in several years, our goal is to explain what we find without judgment and help you protect your teeth and overall health.

Schedule a Gum-Health Evaluation

Gum Disease Treatment in Roanoke, VA

  • Signs You May Have Gum Disease

    Schedule an evaluation if you have bleeding when brushing or flossing, swollen or tender gums, persistent bad breath, gum recession, spaces developing between teeth, loose teeth or changes in your bite. Gum disease can also be present without obvious symptoms, making a thorough periodontal evaluation important.

  • What Happens During a Gum-Health Evaluation?

    We evaluate the gums surrounding each tooth, measure periodontal pocket depths, assess bleeding and inflammation, review appropriate dental X-rays and look for evidence of bone loss. We then explain whether your gums appear healthy or show signs of gingivitis or periodontal disease.

  • Gum Disease Treatment at LAT Dentistry

    Treatment depends on the extent of inflammation and bone loss. Recommendations may include improved home care, a preventive cleaning, scaling and root planing—often called a deep cleaning—localized therapies or more frequent periodontal maintenance visits. If surgical or specialist periodontal care is appropriate, we will explain why and coordinate a referral.

  • Haven’t Been to the Dentist in a Long Time?

    You will not be lectured or embarrassed about the condition of your teeth or gums. Many patients delay care because of anxiety, cost, previous experiences or competing responsibilities. We will begin with your current health, identify the most urgent concerns and help you create a manageable plan.

  • Gum Health and the Rest of Your Treatment Plan

    Healthy gums provide the foundation for restorative and cosmetic dentistry. If you also have cavities, damaged teeth, missing teeth or cosmetic concerns, we can coordinate your periodontal treatment with a comprehensive plan for restoring your health, comfort and smile.

Check out our blog - 7 Signs You May Have Gum Disease and Not Know It

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The first step of treating gum disease involves removing the deep deposits of debris and treating the infection. This step is typically done by your general dentist office.

  • Bleeding gums are a sign that there’s a problem. Typically, bleeding is a sign of infection in the gums caused by aggressive strains of bacteria. There are other reasons for bleeding gum, so be sure to get any bleeding checked out by your dentist immediately.

  • We prefer the term “gum therapy.” This is a first-line treatment for infected gums (periodontal disease) where we get you numb and comfortable to be able to remove all the debris, bacterial deposits, and infection of the gums. We will also clean and polish the teeth as part of this process.

  • Absolutely. As gum disease progresses, the aggressive bacterial infection of the gums causes loss of bone that holds the teeth in place. Over time, this will lead to tooth shifting, looseness, and eventually tooth loss.

  • Absolutely! There is no better time to start than now, no matter how long it has been since you’ve been to the dentist previously. We are judgement-free, and simply would love to help get you on track and healthy. We will first assess your gum health in a new patient exam, then we will create a plan tailored to your individual needs so you can get started.

  • A periodontist, or gum specialist, is needed in really advanced cases of gum disease after the initial gum therapy. They are also needed in cases where someone doesn’t heal as expected from initial treatment of gum disease or when further treatment like surgery, gum grafting, bone grafting, implants, etc are needed.