Periodontal (gum) disease is an inflammatory condition affecting four out of five American adults. Unfortunately, many people don’t even realize they have it, often because they ignore the symptoms and cannot see the infection nor feel any pain. Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss, but the ill-effects of inflammation extend beyond your mouth and smile.

Studies have shown that people with periodontal disease are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease and other chronic health conditions including: diabetes, stroke, respiratory disease, and premature or low birth-weight in babies. In fact, Dr Marder believes that the presence of gum inflammation may be a better predictor of heart disease than cholesterol readings. Because we desire to bring your entire system into balance, ruling out or diagnosing and treating periodontal disease is an extremely important part of your examination and care. We are a periodontal therapy Seattle office that will help you out!

Our office is pleased to offer you an alternative to periodontal surgery in treating your gum disease. The procedure is a holistic, non-surgical, regenerative treatment that involves smoothing infected bone, removing bacterial deposits from the root surfaces, and disinfecting the pocket so healing can occur. This procedure is combined with an individualized assessment and treatment plan aimed at improving your body’s healing potential.

Periodontal treatment begins with a plaque analysis using our phase contrast microscope. A sample of plaque is taken and characterized under the microscope as being problematic or healthy. The microscope analysis helps Dr. Marder develop your personal treatment plan including a daily program of care to be carried out at home. We will often do a DNA analysis of your mouth to identify your bacterial populations and your genetic predisposition to periodontal disease.

The traditional approach to periodontal therapy is to simply clean the teeth and roots, and if that fails, to perform surgery. At Integrative Dentistry, Dr. Marder begins with a deep cleaning, followed by laser therapy treatment. Laser therapy using our gentle Picasso Diode laser is a safe and comfortable procedure, eliminating harmful, disease-causing bacteria. Although laser therapy is virtually painless for most people, local anesthetic may be used to numb the site. We also offer calming nitrous oxide upon request for anxious or fearful patients.

Your cleaning may be followed with an herbal irrigation or ozone treatment. Medical ozone is a mixture of oxygen and naturally occurring ozone. It has been shown to be an effective anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral treatment. Ozone disrupts bacteria growth and other pathogens by disrupting cell walls. It also increases circulation and oxygenation to the treatment area and increases the immune response to create an environment for the production of antioxidants, all of which promote healing. In periodontal treatment, Dr. Marder administers ozone to the gums, but it is also used for cleaning out tooth decay, treating sensitive teeth, treating cavitation sites, and helping with sinus congestion and other head and neck congestion. We have also created custom-fitted mouth trays to deliver ozone gas to the gums and teeth, another preventive for cavities and gum disease.

The mouth is treated in quadrants under local anesthesia. Treatments are scheduled one week apart and are generally comfortable. The gum tissue is gently stretched out of the way to allow access to underlying root and bone. After an initial assessment with our naturopath, an individualized treatment plan will be outlined for you to support your immune system’s healing response during the regenerative periodontal treatments.

We have witnessed great results in periodontal therapy using our holistic approach and remedies. We always encourage a healthy regimen of home care by teaching our patients how to use natural techniques on their own. We have seen our patients experience vast improvements in gum health using herbal irrigations and following an anti-inflammatory diet after periodontal treatment in our office.

Our perio therapy is unique because it promotes your healing in a truly holistic way. For more information about non-surgical periodontics by Seattle holistic and homeopathic dentist, Dr. Mitch Marder, please contact Integrative Dentistry today.