Periodontal disease
Missed cleanings let tartar and bacteria build up along the gums. Shown after a thorough periodontal cleaning.
Specialty care
Gum disease treatment in Winchester
Bleeding, swollen or receding gums can be gum disease, also called periodontal disease. It is treated here, from a deep cleaning to the LANAP laser, and an exam decides which you need.
Treated here
LANAP laser treatment
With the Millennium Nd:YAG laser, in this office.
Deep cleanings done here
Scaling and root planing, for gum disease below the gumline.
Sedation available
Nitrous oxide, oral or IV, for patients 13 and over.
Signs of gum disease
Gum disease does not always hurt, so many people have it without knowing. These are the signs the American Dental Association lists.
- Gums that bleed easily when you brush or floss.
- Gums that are red, swollen or tender.
- Gums that have pulled away from the teeth.
- Bad breath or a bad taste that does not go away.
- Permanent teeth that are loose or moving apart.
- A change in how your teeth fit together when you bite.
- A partial denture that fits differently than it did.
What raises the risk
Smoking and other tobacco, diabetes, a family history of gum disease, some medicines that dry the mouth, and hormonal changes such as pregnancy make it more likely or harder to control, so mention them at your exam.
How gum disease is treated
Which treatment fits is decided at an exam: the dentist measures the space between each tooth and the gum with a small probe, and x-rays show the bone.
A cleaning
Gingivitis, the early stage, is inflammation of the gums before the bone is affected. A professional cleaning and better brushing and flossing at home treat it.
A deep cleaning
Scaling and root planing: plaque and tartar are cleared from deep in the pockets along the roots, and the roots smoothed. It may be split over more than one visit, and the area numbed if needed.
The LANAP laser
LANAP, a laser treatment, is offered here for periodontitis, the stage where the infection has reached below the gumline and the bone.
Keeping it under control
After a deep cleaning a follow-up visit checks how the gums have responded, and after any gum treatment regular maintenance visits help keep it under control.
The LANAP laser
LANAP is a laser treatment for gum disease, made by Millennium Dental Technologies. It is done here with the Millennium Nd:YAG laser.
“A laser fiber the width of three human hairs targets disease, but leaves healthy tissue intact.”
Whether LANAP is right for your gums is decided at an exam. So are how the treatment would be spread over visits and what aftercare you would need.
What is LANAP laser gum treatment?Read more on the maker’s patient site
LANAP is a registered mark of Millennium Dental Technologies.
A periodontal cleaning, before and after
Shown with the patient's consent.
- BeforeAfter
LANAP and five root canals
Gum disease that looked healed, an infection bad enough to affect breathing, and a search for a dentist close to home.
Read the transcript
- What happened with your tooth?
- Well, the thing was, I didn't know there was the problem that it was because my gums had actually healed from the periodontal disease. And so they were, they looked good. And I had actually just been to my dentist about six months earlier. 'cause I was going every six months just to get it cleaned because of the periodontal disease and just kind of keeping an eye on that. So it seemed like my gums were healthy and my teeth were somewhat loose. But I don't know, I don't remember if there was an option said about what to do about that.
- How much pain were you in?
- But every so often I would get a sore either on the lower gum or the top gum, and then it would kind of go away about, I guess it was a year and three months ago, the sore seemed to be consistently really, really bad. And then I started to swell on the top and on the bottom.
- Why did you choose this office?
- And so since my regular dentist was in western Tennessee, I thought, well, let me find a local one. The swelling got so bad on the top and the bottom that I was having problems breathing. And I was in a bad way. I didn't realize how bad my health was because I had a, a raging infection in my body and it had drained me and I was, I knew I wasn't feeling well, but, you know, you kind of just keep going on and you don't really pay attention.
- How much was Dr. Orr able to help?
- But I was kind of wanting to do what I could to save him. And so he explained how we were going to go about it 'cause I would need the LANAP or the, for the bone loss. But then I also needed five root canals. So I guess I just considered all the different options and seemed like I was gonna just go with the LANAP and the root canals. And, and it's done really well.
- How was the healing process?
- The healing process wasn't difficult and it didn't take really a long time. I was careful about the things I ate because I didn't wanna do any damage to anything that was done, but there weren't really a lot of restrictions and it didn't take a long time. And it seemed like in no time I could feel a physical difference because I guess when you have a lot of infection inside of your body, it's draining you.
- How do you feel now?
- I am feeling incredibly better than I was a year and three months ago because I didn't realize how bad I was feeling then. I often would wake up sick to my stomach in, in a headache, which I guess is part of the bacterial living inside of my body. And my energy levels were low and I often was just weak and kind of miserable. And I've pretty much got it seems like I've got all my strength and I'm, I can go and do so many different things. If somebody were to come and ask me if they should have this done, I could highly recommend it. It's like you get your teeth back again and you get your quality of life back again. And so I think I would highly recommend it.
Before it hurts
Bleeding gums are worth a call
Gum disease can be painless, so it can advance for a long time before anyone notices. Left alone, the infection breaks down the bone that holds the teeth, and teeth can loosen and be lost. Gums that bleed when you brush are one of the signs you can see for yourself.
Found early, as gingivitis, it is treated with a cleaning and better care at home.
Where our patients come from
Decherd · 5 min 
Cowan · 10 min 
Estill Springs · 10 min 
Huntland · 15 min 
Belvidere · 15 min 
Tullahoma · 20 min 
Sewanee · 20 min 
Monteagle · 25 min 
Lynchburg · 25 min 
Manchester · 25 min
What people ask about gum treatment
What is gum disease, and what causes it?
Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, is an infection of the gums and the bone that hold your teeth in place. It starts with plaque, the sticky film of bacteria that forms on teeth every day. Left in place, plaque hardens into tartar along the gumline, where a toothbrush cannot remove it, and the gums become inflamed.
What is periodontal disease and what does it do?What is LANAP laser gum treatment?
LANAP is a laser treatment for periodontitis, the stage of gum disease where the infection has reached below the gumline and the bone. It is made by Millennium Dental Technologies, and we offer it here in Winchester, TN, with the Millennium Nd:YAG laser. An exam decides whether it fits your gums.
What is LANAP laser gum treatment?What causes bleeding gums?
Most often it is gum disease: plaque left along the gumline inflames the gums until they are red, swollen and bleed when you brush or floss. An injury or hard food can also make gums bleed, as can hormone changes such as pregnancy and some medicines, blood thinners among them. Bleeding that keeps coming back should be examined rather than guessed at. In the meantime keep brushing, with a soft brush and gentle pressure: stopping lets more plaque build up.
Why are my gums receding?
Gum disease is one cause: the infection breaks down the bone around the tooth, and the gum recedes with it. It is not the only one. Brushing too hard, clenching or grinding, crooked teeth or a bite that wears one side more, tobacco, hormone changes and thin gums that run in the family can all do it, even in people who brush and floss well. When only one tooth is affected, plaque collecting there or extra wear from the bite is often the reason. An exam shows which it is.
Can gum disease be cured or reversed?
It depends on the stage. The American Academy of Periodontology says gingivitis, the early stage, is reversible with professional treatment and good care at home. With periodontitis, where the infection has reached the bone, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research says the main goal of treatment is to control the infection, and regular maintenance visits afterwards help keep it controlled. That is why finding it early matters.
How much does gum disease treatment cost?
It depends on what the exam finds: whether a cleaning, a deep cleaning or LANAP fits, and how much of the mouth needs it. Call and we will go through what yours involves.
Does insurance cover gum disease treatment?
What a plan pays varies from plan to plan, so the useful answer comes from your own. We will do our best to check yours before treatment starts, but please bring your plan details, and the patient is ultimately responsible for the cost. Insurance and payment are on our patient information page.
Patient information