Services › Gum disease treatment
Gum disease treatment, by a board-certified periodontist
Most practices treat the early stage and refer the rest out. Dr. Maria Petroche is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology — the specialist other dentists refer to — and she works here.
It is quiet until it is not
Gum disease rarely hurts, which is exactly the problem. By the time a tooth feels loose, the bone that held it has already gone, and bone does not grow back on its own. Almost everything we can do is easier, cheaper and more effective earlier.
It is also the leading cause of tooth loss in adults — ahead of decay. Research has linked it to diabetes, heart disease and other conditions; whether it causes them or simply travels with them is still debated, but the association is consistent enough to take seriously.
Gums that bleed when you brush or floss — this is not normal, however common it is. Also: persistent bad breath or a bad taste, gums that look red, puffy or have pulled back, teeth that look longer than they used to, sensitivity at the gumline, a tooth that feels loose or has shifted, or a bite that has started to feel different.
Bleeding gums are the earliest sign and the one most people dismiss. If you only notice one thing on this list, make it that one.
Where you are on the scale
We measure the pocket depth around every tooth and compare it with the X-rays. That gives a number, not an opinion.
Gingivitis — reversible
Inflammation of the gum with no bone lost yet. Bleeding, redness, puffiness. A thorough cleaning and a change to how you clean at home usually resolves it completely. This is the stage to catch it.
Early to moderate periodontitis
The infection has moved below the gum and started to take bone. Pockets deepen, gums recede. The bone already lost does not come back on its own, but the disease can be stopped here and the teeth kept.
Advanced periodontitis
Deep pockets, significant bone loss, teeth loosening or drifting. This is where surgical and regenerative treatment belongs — and where most general practices write a referral out of the building. Here the referral is internal: Dr. Petroche treats these cases in this office, on her consultation and surgery days.
What treatment looks like
We start with the least invasive thing that will work, and only escalate if it does not.
A deep cleaning below the gumline that removes the hardened deposits ordinary cleaning cannot reach, and smooths the root so the gum can reattach. Done with the area numbed, usually over one or two visits.
After treatment, cleanings on a shorter cycle — often every three or four months rather than six. This is not an upsell; it is the part that keeps the disease from coming straight back, and most plans cover it.
Where pockets stay too deep to clean, the gum is lifted, the root surfaces are cleaned directly and the gum is secured back at a depth you can actually maintain at home.
Regenerative procedures that rebuild lost bone around a tooth, or lost gum tissue over an exposed root. Not every case is a candidate — the scan and the pocket measurements tell us which are.
Covering roots that have become exposed, which addresses the sensitivity and the appearance and protects the root from decay. Receding gums do not grow back by themselves.
Reshaping gum and bone to expose more tooth — either so a broken tooth can be restored properly, or to even out a smile that shows a lot of gum.
Sometimes the honest answer is that it is too far gone. Because the same practice places the implant and makes the crown, replacing it is planned here from the same records — not started over at a new office six weeks later.
Cost and insurance
Periodontal treatment is generally well covered. Scaling and root planing and periodontal maintenance are standard benefits on most PPO plans, and Colorado Medicaid covers periodontal care for eligible adults.
We verify your specific plan and give you the figure with your benefit applied before treatment starts — and we will tell you plainly which parts are urgent and which can wait a few months if the whole thing is not affordable at once.
You are welcome to come for a second opinion. Bring your X-rays if you have them, or we will take our own. We will show you the pocket measurements and explain what they mean rather than just handing you a treatment plan.
Common questions
Can gum disease be cured?
Gingivitis, the early stage, is fully reversible. Once bone has been lost the disease can be stopped and controlled but not undone — which is why the goal shifts from cure to keeping your teeth. With treatment and maintenance, most people do keep them.
Is a deep cleaning painful?
The area is numbed, so the appointment itself is comfortable. Expect tenderness and some sensitivity to cold for a few days afterwards as the gums heal and tighten.
Why do I need cleanings every three months instead of six?
Because the bacteria repopulate the pockets in about that time. Once you have been treated for periodontitis, a six-month cycle lets the disease restart between visits. It is the difference between holding ground and losing it slowly.
My gums bleed when I floss. Should I stop flossing?
No — the bleeding is the inflammation, not the floss. Gums that are flossed consistently usually stop bleeding within a week or two. If they do not, that is the signal to get them looked at.
Do I need a referral to see the periodontist?
Not as our patient. Dr. Petroche holds consultation and surgery days at this office each week, and we book you into one — you do not have to find a specialist or start again somewhere new. If you are with another dentist and they have referred you here, bring the referral and any recent X-rays and we will coordinate with them.
Can I get implants if I have gum disease?
Not while it is active. Implants can develop the same disease around them, so placing one into untreated periodontitis sets it up to fail. The gums are treated and stabilised first, then implants are planned — one of the clearer advantages of having both doctors in one office.
How often is the periodontist in the office?
Dr. Petroche is in for consultations and surgery one to two days a week. Periodontal surgery is scheduled on those days; your evaluation, your deep cleanings, your maintenance visits and anything restorative happen on the ordinary schedule with Dr. Lima and the hygiene team. In practice it means waiting for a surgery day, not waiting for a referral.
Does smoking matter?
A great deal. Smoking is one of the strongest risk factors for gum disease and it slows healing after any treatment, including grafts and implants. We will not lecture you, but we will be straight about how it affects your result.
Let's get you a time this week.
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6565 W Jewell Ave, Suite 9, Lakewood CO 80232 · info@synergydentistryco.com
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