At Denton Family Smiles, Sleep & TMJ, we deeply believe that a truly beautiful smile must be built on a strong, healthy foundation.
Serving the Denton, TX community, our highly patient-oriented practice is dedicated to delivering honest dentistry and exceptional care from A to Z. While many people focus entirely on their teeth, your gums and jawbone are just as critical to your overall health. If your gums are swollen, bleeding, or receding, our compassionate team is here to provide the specialized periodontal care you need to protect your smile and preserve your natural teeth for a lifetime.
What Is Periodontics?
Periodontics is the specialized branch of dentistry focused exclusively on diagnosing, preventing, and treating diseases that affect the gums and the underlying bone that supports your teeth.
Periodontal disease (gum disease) is an ongoing bacterial infection. When plaque and hard tartar are allowed to build up along the gumline, bacteria begin to attack the soft tissue and eventually destroy the jawbone. Our goal is to catch this infection early, halt its progression, and restore the strong foundation your teeth need to survive.
Understanding Gum Health
Healthy gums should be firm, pale pink, and fit snugly around each tooth like a protective collar. They act as a critical seal, keeping harmful bacteria out of your bloodstream and away from your delicate tooth roots.
When you maintain excellent gum health, you are not just protecting your smile—you are protecting your entire body. We treat our patients like family, meaning we take the time to educate you about the powerful mouth-body connection, explaining how severe gum disease has been clinically linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes complications, and respiratory issues.
Signs Of Gum Disease
Gum disease is often called a “silent disease” because it can progress painlessly for years before you even realize there is a problem. Guided by our doctors’ famously warm and thorough approach, we carefully evaluate your gums during every routine visit. You should contact us right away if you notice any of these warning signs:
- Bleeding: Gums that bleed easily when you brush or floss.
- Swelling and redness: Gums that appear puffy, tender, or dark red instead of firm and pink.
- Recession: Gums that are pulling away from your teeth, making your teeth look longer or exposing the sensitive roots.
- Persistent bad breath: A chronic bad taste in your mouth or odor that does not go away after brushing.
- Loose teeth: Teeth that feel mobile or have shifted their position in your bite.
The Importance Of Healthy Gums
Your gums and jawbone are the anchor for every single tooth in your mouth. If the bone deteriorates due to untreated periodontal disease, even completely cavity-free, perfectly healthy teeth will eventually loosen and fall out. Because our overarching philosophy is to preserve your natural teeth whenever absolutely possible, keeping your gums free of infection is the most vital step in maintaining your smile.
Periodontal Disease Prevention
The best treatment is prevention. We utilize our advanced technology during your routine biannual check-ups to catch the earliest stage of gum disease, known as gingivitis, when it is still 100% reversible.
If we detect gingivitis, we do not use high-pressure tactics. Instead, we offer honest advice and work with you to improve your daily brushing and flossing routines. Often, a professional cleaning by our gentle hygienists and a commitment to better home care is all it takes to reverse the inflammation and return your gums to perfect health.
Protecting Bone & Tooth Support
If the bacterial infection progresses past gingivitis into periodontitis, it begins to permanently destroy the bone supporting your teeth. To stop this destruction, we provide a highly effective, non-surgical treatment known as Scaling and Root Planing (a “deep cleaning”).
We prioritize your absolute comfort, ensuring your gums are fully numb before we begin. We meticulously clean deep beneath the gumline to remove hardened tartar and bacteria, and then smooth the roots of the teeth so your gums can firmly reattach. If you feel anxious about this procedure, we proudly offer safe nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to help you deeply relax.
If you have already lost a tooth due to advanced periodontal disease, our doctor’s specialized fellowship training in dental implants allows us to safely rebuild your smile. We can perform gentle bone grafting to restore the lost structure and place premium implants entirely in-house.
Long-Term Periodontal Maintenance
Once you have been treated for periodontitis, the infection is controlled, but you will always be prone to it returning. Standard six-month cleanings are no longer enough.
We will seamlessly transition you to a specialized periodontal maintenance program. This typically involves visiting our office every three to four months for targeted, gentle cleanings that stop the bacteria from taking hold again. We work very hard to provide highly flexible, transparent financial options that fit with every budget so you can easily maintain this vital, ongoing care.
Frequently Asked Questions
The earliest stage, gingivitis, is completely reversible and can be cured with excellent oral hygiene and a professional cleaning. However, once it progresses to periodontitis and bone loss occurs, the disease cannot be fully cured—but it can be highly successfully managed and stopped in its tracks with professional periodontal maintenance.
Not at all. We are dedicated to gentle, entirely painless care. We will carefully numb your gums with a local anesthetic before we begin the Scaling and Root Planing procedure, ensuring you feel absolutely no discomfort while we clean beneath the gumline.
Most dental insurance plans consider periodontal therapy and deep cleanings to be essential, necessary treatments and cover a significant portion of the cost. We will clearly explain all of your coverage and out-of-pocket costs before we begin any treatment.