Advanced Gum Disease Treatment

Halt Or Reverse Periodontal Disease Before It’s Too Late

Half of all American adults have gum disease, and it’s the leading cause of tooth loss in adults of all ages. Many people don’t even realize that they have gum disease, so they may not get the care they need to protect their teeth and restore their oral health.

At Dental Wellness, Dr. Douglas Walker is here to help. We offer advanced gum disease treatment in Charleston, including LANAP, gum grafting, and more. Whether you think you may have gingivitis or a more serious case of periodontal disease, we’re standing by to help.

What Is Gum Disease? Understanding The Basics

Gum disease, also called “periodontal disease,” happens when a large amount of bacteria-filled plaque and tartar build-up between your teeth and gums. Over time, the bacteria in plaque and tartar begin to attack and infect your gum tissue, causing gum disease.

Primarily, gum disease is caused by improper oral hygiene. However, there are some other factors that can raise your risk of gum disease, such as:

• Poor nutrition, including consuming lots of starchy foods and sugary snacks/drinks
• Diabetes and certain other health conditions
• Dehydration and/or dry mouth (xerostomia)
• Smoking, vaping, or using oral tobacco
• Recreational drug use
• Excessive alcohol use
• Genetic factors

The good news is that by taking good care of your teeth, making a few lifestyle changes, and seeing Dr. Walker for a checkup every six months, you can dramatically reduce your risk of gum disease.

Recognizing The Signs Of Gum Disease

Generally, gum disease is split into four categories. Each one has slightly different signs and symptoms:

• Gingivitis – This is the earliest stage of gum disease, and it’s reversible. You may notice that your gums look a bit swollen, feel tender, and bleed easily when brushing or flossing.
• Early periodontitis – In this stage of gum disease, you may notice increased redness and inflammation in your gums. Periodontal “pockets” form around your teeth, and your gums may pull away from your teeth (gum recession).  You may also start to notice frequent bad breath (halitosis) caused by bacteria buildup.
• Moderate periodontitis – In moderate periodontitis, the gums recede more, and you will often experience pain and discomfort while chewing. Your teeth may feel loose and you may notice a change in how they fit together.
• ‍Advanced periodontitis – This is the final stage of gum disease and has the most severe symptoms. You may experience severe bleeding, serious pain and discomfort, severe gum recession and bone loss that leads to losing teeth, and the buildup of pus-filled abscesses in your mouth.

A Personalized Approach To Periodontal Care

At Dental Wellness, we take a more advanced and individualized approach to treating gum disease. In addition to traditional therapies, we use Oral DNA testing to better understand the specific bacteria present in your mouth.

With the SimplyPerio Test, we can identify the exact strains of bacteria contributing to your periodontal disease. This allows Dr. Walker to create a more targeted and effective treatment plan, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.

Based on your results, we may recommend personalized antibiotic therapy to help eliminate harmful bacteria more efficiently and support long-term healing.

We also provide at-home antimicrobial support to enhance your results between visits. This may include prescription or professional-grade rinses such as:

• CTX4 Rinse
• StellaLife Rinse

These rinses help reduce harmful bacteria, support gum healing, and maintain a healthier oral environment as part of your ongoing care.

Our Gum Disease Treatment Services

The sooner you get treatment for gum disease, the better your outcome will be. We offer a variety of gum disease treatments at Dental Wellness. During your visit with Dr. Walker, he will assess the severity of your periodontal disease and create a plan to reverse or halt its progression and restore your oral health.

Deep cleaning (scaling & root planing)

If you have minor to moderate gum disease, scaling, and root planing are usually the first treatment that Dr. Walker will recommend. In this treatment, he will numb your mouth, then use special dental tools to remove plaque and bacteria (scaling) and eliminate the bacteria-filled pockets below your teeth (root planing). Along with lifestyle changes, this is often enough to halt the progression of gum disease.

LANAP with PerioLase

We offer LANAP in Charleston with PerioLase. LANAP involves using a dental laser to remove damaged bone and gum tissue from around your teeth and disinfect the treatment area. Compared to traditional gum surgery, LANAP offers enhanced comfort, requires the removal of much less tissue, and has a dramatically faster recovery time.

Gum grafting

If your gums have receded due to periodontal disease, gum grafting and reshaping may be necessary to restore your smile and protect your teeth. This involves harvesting some tissue from the roof of your mouth and then grafting it onto the areas where your gums have receded from your teeth. This helps protect the roots of your teeth from further damage.

Bone grafts

If advanced gum disease causes damage to your jaw bone, bone grafts may be necessary to restore the strength and integrity of your jaw. They may also be recommended if you have lost one or more teeth and would like to replace them with dental implants in the future. This process involves creating an opening in your gums and jaw and then packing it with bone granules. Over time, natural healthy bone will heal around these granules, restoring the strength and shape of your jaw bone.