Periodontics - Methuen, MA
A Healthier Smile Starts with Effective Gum Disease Treatment
What Is Gum Disease?
Gum disease may start quietly, without any warning signs. Left untreated, it can quickly snowball into a serious threat to your oral and overall health. It begins with plaque buildup along the gumline—essentially a sticky film of bacteria that hardens into tartar and inflames the gums. In its early stage (gingivitis), you might notice bleeding gums when brushing or flossing.
As it progresses to periodontitis, it can lead to gum recession, bone loss, loose teeth, chronic bad breath, and even systemic health issues like heart disease and diabetes. The good news is that gum disease is preventable and treatable. At Merrimack Dental Associates, our skilled dental team offers comprehensive periodontal care designed to stop gum disease in its tracks, restore your gum health, and protect your smile for the long haul!
The Signs & Symptoms of Gum Disease
- Red or swollen gums
- Bad breath
- Bleeding gums
- Receding gums
- Loose or shifting teeth
- Pain when chewing
We Offer Experienced Care for Every Stage of Gum Disease
At Merrimack Dental Associates, we have years of experience diagnosing, treating, and managing all stages of gum disease—from early gingivitis to advanced periodontitis. Our skilled team uses the latest techniques and technology to deep-clean below the gum line, remove harmful bacteria, and help restore your oral health.
Beyond treatment, we focus heavily on prevention through personalized oral hygiene guidance, routine cleanings, and monitoring to keep your gums healthy long-term. We understand that the cost of gum disease treatment can be a concern, so we offer flexible third-party financing options and work with most major insurance to make your care affordable and stress-free.
With us, you don’t have to let cost stand in the way of a healthy, confident smile.
Our Effective Gum Disease Treatments
Scaling and root planing is a non-surgical, deep cleaning procedure for periodontal disease. This treatment differs from routine cleaning in that it targets the areas below the gum line where bacteria and tartar accumulate.
With scaling and root planing, we can remove harmful bacteria, reduce inflammation, eliminate periodontal pockets, and halt the progress of gum disease from wreaking more havoc on your health. Root planing is a top gingivitis treatment, helping to restore healthy gums.
A frenectomy removes the frenulum, the small band of tissue that connects two structures in your mouth. This treatment is valuable in scenarios where an abnormal frenulum is contributing to gum disease or hindering effective plaque removal. Frenectomies can help prevent further gum recession and stabilize gum tissue, proving to be effective solutions for managing and preventing gum disease.
A gingivectomy removes gum tissue to effectively treat gum disease. As gum disease advances, it creates deep pockets between the gums and teeth that harbor bacteria and plaque, and a gingivectomy can remove the affected gum tissue to address this issue. Gingivectomies are great gum disease treatments that help eliminate infection and prevent further bone loss and tooth loss.
The pinhole surgical technique is a minimally invasive, incision-free, and suture-free procedure used to treat gum recession properly. This revolutionary treatment utilizes small pinhole points that gently loosen and are manipulated with a small instrument inserted into the existing gum tissue.
We then slide and stretch the loosened gum tissue to cover the exposed tooth root, followed by the placement of collagen to help stabilize the new gum position, encourage healing, and stimulate natural tissue regeneration.
