Periodontal Care Services in Lakeville, MN

“Perio” means around, and “dont” means the teeth. So “Periodontal” means the gums and bone that support your teeth. Periodontics is the discipline of dentistry that deals with the health of the structures that support and protect your teeth.

As a general rule of thumb, most tooth loss that occurs prior to or near age 30 is due to decay or fracture. More tooth loss after that age is due to periodontal disease. Now this is just a general rule, not specific. People can develop periodontal problems at any age. As we get older, periodontal problems become more common the older we get. You can have beautiful teeth, but if the gums and bone aren’t healthy, you will still have problems.
We use the example of building a beautiful cedar fence all around your yard, but only placing the fence posts 12 inches into the ground. The fence looks great but as soon as the wind blows…problem!

Years ago, periodontal disease used to be called “pyorrhea”…what an ugly word! And it didn’t really mean anything to most people. Periodontal disease is a much more accurate term, and describes better what is going on.

What causes periodontal disease? Lots of things are involved, and it is usually a combination of factors that lead to the problem. Factor number one in most cases is simply lack of proper dental care. Periodontal disease occurs when the bacteria that populate the crevices around your teeth are able to remain and develop long enough to produce by-products and enzymes that break down the gum and bone support for your teeth. The longer this happens, the more it progresses, like a viscious cycle. Genetics can play a part. However, that part is more related to your immune system and the way it handles the certain bacteria that are involved. Just because your mother and your grandmother had “that there pyorrhea” doesn’t mean you will, or that you have to.

Prevention of periodontal disease is the best method. That includes regular visits to your dental office to get proper care and conscientious maintenance by yourself at home. If periodontal disease still begins to develop, we can provide periodontal care services in Lakeville, MN. Miller Comfort Dental can also provide care and therapy methods to arrest the disease process and maintain a state of continuing health. This will help you retain your teeth for your life.

We complete a full periodontal evaluation of all of our patients. This helps us gauge your condition and status at your first visit with us, therefore establishing a baseline so we can catch any progression while it is in its early stages.

In the circumstances where you have already reached a point of moderate to severe periodontal disease, we have access to some excellent Periodontal Specialists. The specialists have many new wonderful methods and techniques which can lead to restoring your oral health with minimum tooth loss, or none at all!

If you need periodontal care services in Lakeville, MN, contact Miller Comfort Dental now. You can also book an appointment if you’re interested in our other services.