Periodontal (Gum) Care in Woodland Hills, CA
Believe it or not, half of American adults have periodontal disease—also known as gum disease—according to the American Academy of Periodontology. Gum disease has many different phases, starting with gingivitis and eventually leading to accelerated stages of periodontitis. As we get older, there are many factors can increase the risk of gum disease. These include: gums naturally receding, teeth wearing down and becoming more sensitive, and certain medications.
Symptoms of Periodontal Disease
Gun disease warning signs include:
- Gums are tender or sore
- Gums look red and/or swollen
- Bleeding gums
- Teeth sensitivity or pain
- Loose teeth caused by weakening gums
- Persistent bad breath
If untreated, gum disease can eventually result in many oral health issues such as tooth loss.
Periodontal Disease Treatment in Woodland Hills, CA
No matter what phase of gum disease you have, the team at West Hills Smiles in West Hills, CA, 91307 near Woodland Hills, CA can help. Previously, gum disease required surgery to fix. While this may still be an option for more advanced cases, there are now many less invasive procedures that can be used.
A diagnosis will occur during a routine checkup or if a patient comes in due to noticing any of the warning signs listed above. Your dentist will present you with the options and come up with a game plan.
- Scaling and Root Planing – This is a standard first procedure that can help many patients. The plaque, tartar deposits, and bacterial toxins are scaled from the tooth, and the roots are smoothed to prevent future buildups.
- Arestin® Local Antibiotic Treatments – This antibiotic treatment is often used after a scaling and root planing treatment to continue fighting bacteria around the gums for several weeks. This can greatly help the gum recover properly after the treatment and halt gum disease from reoccurring.
Long-term Plans – Your West Hills, CA dentist will assess the progress and discuss any further procedures that may be needed or how to keep gum disease from returning.
What Our Patients Think
The overall quality of your dental experience is very important to us.
This is THE place to go for your dental needs. You walk in and see their beautiful lobby that has a really big and soothing aquarium. They offer you snacks and drinks and the front desk girls always have a smile on their faces. The rooms are gorgeous! They even have those little cameras that take pictures of your teeth so you can see them (that was helpful because I had a crack on my tooth that I didn’t think it was a big deal until I saw it with the camera, ew!). The doctors are amazing. They didn’t try to sell me any treatment, but told me that their job was to educate me about oral health and my options, so I didn’t feel any pressure to proceed with anything I wasn’t comfortable with. I will come here for the rest of my life!
Just had work done by Dr. Mike Salekian today and was so impressed with how smoothly everything went!!!! I am usually terrified of the dentist (especially the numbing shots) but Dr. Mike was so gentle I honestly didn’t even feel him numbing me. He was very thorough at explaining everything so I felt comfortable the entire time. He is a very compassionate guy and truly cares about his patients. The assistant, Chris, is amazing too!! I highly recommend going to see them for any of your dental needs! You’ll be happy that you did! The front office is very accommodating when it comes to utilizing your insurance and making sure things are good on the financial side.
Recently, I was told I would be seeing a new dentist, Dr. Mike,by the excellent staff at West Hills Smile. After the first visit, I found Dr. Mike incredibly kind and very knowledgeable. We proceed with the treatment plan, and Dr. Mike continuously checked in while he was doing the procedure. Everything went fine, and it felt quick and painless. With the excellent care I received by Dr. Mike and continued support of the already great staff, I recommend this office. In my experience the staff is just as caring and willing to work with you as well. They go above and beyond, and really want to hear from you before a plan is in place, during your visit, and afterward if anything should pop up.