Will I Need Gum Disease Treatment Before My Cosmetic Dental Work?

As much as you want cosmetic dentistry, you should know whether you qualify first. That especially applies when you’re dealing with infected gums! In that case, it’d be natural to ask yourself, “Do I need gum disease treatment before cosmetic dental work?” Here’s a primer on gum disease, why to treat it before getting cosmetic work, and how dentists address it.

Crucial Context: What’s Gum Disease?

Before delving into the full answer, you need to know the basics about gum disease. You won’t understand why it needs fast treatment otherwise.

In short, gum disease is an infection of your gums – the soft tissues around your teeth. It occurs as plaque builds in your mouth, usually due to poor eating and bad oral care. However, the problem usually starts as “gingivitis” or a mild gum inflammation. It only shifts into “periodontitis” or a full-blown infection once bacteria attack your jaw and gum tissues.

Gum disease is a serious threat to oral health when left unchecked. With enough time, it can make your gums recede, your jaw shrink, and your teeth fall out. You’d then need a lot of dental work to repair its damage.

Why Treat Gum Disease Before Smile Flaws?

While a pretty smile can be a high priority, your oral health is a higher one. You must get gum disease treated before you can consider cosmetic dental work. That way, your grin will have a foundation strong enough for aesthetic dentistry.

You see, some cosmetic procedures make it hard to detect cavities or gum disease. Key examples are porcelain veneers and dental crowns; they can hide major symptoms along with your smile flaws. If you got them before a gum disease treatment, your dentist would struggle to fix your gums later.

Still, this fact doesn’t mean you should feel impatient. The relevant flaws – chips, cracks, stains, etc. – can be fixed once your infection is under control.

Just How Do Dentists Treat Gum Disease?

Gum disease treatment depends on the severity of the condition, so numerous procedures exist for varying circumstances. That said, scaling and root planing (acting together) remain the number one method for most dentists today.

Scaling and root planing are a “deep cleaning” of your gums and dental roots. For the scaling portion, a dentist removes the built-up plaque and tartar from beneath the gumline. The root planing smooths out the roots of your teeth to help your gums reattach and prevent re-infection.

If your gums are in bad shape, get gum disease treatment before cosmetic dental work. That order will make your smile healthy and beautiful in the long run!

About the Practice

DeMartino Dental Group, P.C. is based near St. Luke’s Hospital in Phillipsburg, NJ. Led by Drs. Jeffrey and Nelida DeMartino, our practice strives to give every patient the quality dental care they deserve. That means we offer dentistry for all ages, including preventive, cosmetic, and restorative procedures. Our team is even ready and able to help your gums with effective gum disease treatment! For more details or to book a visit, please reach us on our website or by phone at (908)-859-5260.