Most periodontal patients in our practice become very familiar with the two primary therapies we rely on to treat gum disease: scaling and root planing. Sounds a little disagreeable, yes. But scaling and root planing are the beginning of the end of periodontal problems. The treatment is tried and true, with a simple goal—get the “junk” out of there.  Plaque, calculus, and bacteria, left to accumulate, will form pockets around teeth beneath the gumline. As pockets deepen and bacteria go to work, tissue becomes infected. Without care, tissue, ligaments and eventually bone are destroyed and you’re facing tooth loss.

Scaling and root planing is one of the most effective, non-surgical ways to treat gum disease before it becomes severe. Scaling is basically the process of removing dental tartar from the surfaces of the teeth. Root planing is the process of smoothing out the root surfaces and removing any infected tooth structure. If you have gum disease or gum pocketing, the gum pockets around the teeth will have deepened, thereby allowing tartar deposits to form under the gum line. A careful cleaning of the root surfaces to remove plaque and calculus (tartar) from deep periodontal pockets and smoothing the tooth root to remove bacterial toxins will help ensure that your gum disease is controlled.

Scaling and root planing is a simple procedure that can work very well to stop gum disease. Scaling and root planing does not usually cause much discomfort, but you might experience some soreness afterwards, since deeper regions under the gums have been cleaned. Your teeth themselves may become a bit more sensitive to temperature, and bleeding might occur for a little while after your procedure.  Schedule a visit with our periodontist to understand more about root scaling and planing.

In the past, teeth with diseased nerves have been removed from the mouth. However, through a root canal, most of the diseased tooth can be salvaged. In most cases, the root canal procedure is a simple treatment that involves little to no patient discomfort.

Within the walls of each tooth, a strand of dental pulp – the substance that supplies the tooth with nerves, nutrients, connective tissue and blood vessels – laces downward into the root. If the dental pulp becomes diseased, the pulp dies, cutting off the nutrients and nerve signals which the tooth needs to be healthy. If the diseased pulp is left in the tooth, the tooth will become infected, forcing it to need extraction.

Root canals allow the dentist to remove the pulp, clean the canal and seal the tooth, effectively protecting and saving the tooth. After an opening is created through the crown of the tooth into the dental pulp chamber, the pulp is removed. The canal is cleaned out, and the pulp chamber is permanently filled. The dentist will proceed by putting in a temporary filling. Afterwards, the temporary filling will be replaced with a permanent filling or a crown, depending on the location of the tooth within the mouth.  An endodontist or root canal dentist can help you with you problems.  Call us today to schedule your appointment.

Many teens and adults are completely unaware that they have an additional set of molars growing beneath the surface of their gums in the far back of their mouth. Your third molars, or wisdom teeth, have the potential to increase chewing and grinding power, but most people do not have the space in their mouth to allow these teeth to grow in properly. Patients with wisdom teeth are susceptible to several dental problems like tooth impaction, infection, gum disease, and misalignment of healthy teeth.

Wisdom teeth extractions are a fairly common procedure. Wisdom teeth often cause problems as they are trying to protrude through the gums. When a wisdom tooth is impacted, it means the tooth is coming in at an angle and not straight through the gum line. This can cause pain, the tooth can come in unevenly, or the tooth may only emerge partially.   We recommend that the wisdom teeth be removed during the mid- to late teens to avoid potential problems.

Our oral surgeons and general dentist have been highly trained in surgical monitoring, CPR, sterilization processes, and the administration anesthesia to ensure the highest level of safety possible during your treatment. We specialize in extractions at Dental Associates of Arlington. Whether you need a wisdom tooth removed or other teeth extracted due to damage or decay, we can help…and we will do it gently.

Gum disease (also called periodontal disease) is an infection of the tissues (gums) that support your teeth. Periodontal disease is a major cause of tooth loss in adults. Because gum disease is usually painless, you may not know you have periodontal disease. At each regular dental health checkup, we will measure the depth of the shallow v-shaped crevice (called a sulcus) between your tooth and gums to see how healthy your gums are.

Gum disease is caused by plaque, a sticky film of bacteria that constantly forms on the teeth. These bacteria create toxins that can damage the gums and cause periodontal disease. Periodontal disease can attack just below the gum line in the sulcus, where they cause the attachment of the tooth and supporting tissues to break down. As the tissues are damaged, pockets develop between your teeth and gums; generally, the more severe the gum disease, the greater the depth of the pocket. Periodontal disease is classified according to the severity of the disease. The two major stages are gingivitis and periodontitis.

Good oral hygiene at home is an essential first step for gum disease treatment. It helps keep periodontal disease from becoming more serious or recurring. You don’t have to lose teeth to gum disease. Brush regularly, clean between your teeth, eat a balanced diet, and schedule regular periodontist visits for a lifetime of healthy smiles.

Are you suffering from jaw pain? Does your jaw make popping or clicking sounds when you open it? Do you have regular headaches or migraines that aren’t responding to the treatments your doctor recommends? Perhaps the true cause of your symptoms is temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ). In TMJ, a dysfunction in your jaw joint can cause muscle strain, pinched nerves, and other effects that cause numerous symptoms throughout the body.

The first step is determining whether or not you are suffering from TMJ symptoms. The most common TMJ symptoms include pain or tenderness in the jaw area, pain while chewing, difficulty chewing, uneven biting, toothaches, dizziness, neck aches, ear pain, ringing ears, lock jaw, clicking or popping sounds in your jaw, or pain when you try to speak, chew or open and close your mouth. If your dentist thinks you have TMJ disorder, then the dentist specialist will likely perform x-rays, a CT scan or an MRI to confirm the diagnosis.

The exact causes of TMJ have not been identified yet, but most dentists believe that the symptoms brought by the disorder may be due to problems with the jaw muscles or the joint itself. An injury to the head or neck muscles, to the joint, or to the jaw, can also lead to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). While a heavy blow to the area can cause this problem, TMD may also be caused by the grinding or clenching of one’s teeth, which applies more pressure to the joint. TMD may also be caused by the unusual movement of the disc or soft cushion that is found between the ball and socket of the TMJ. Other conditions, such as stress or arthritis of the joint, can also lead to the said disorder.

If you have unexplained headaches or any of the symptoms mentioned above, please contact our Arlington Dentist to talk about your diagnosis and TMJ treatment options.