Covid-19 Health Update

Acadia Family Dentistry considers the health and safety of our patients and staff as our highest priority. We have implemented some additional precautionary measures apart from the universal precautions to ensure the health and well-being of everyone. Some of these measures are:
  • Scheduling high-risk patients at designated times
  • Subjecting all patients to a temperature scan at the entrance to ensure their temperatures are below 100.4 degrees.
  • Disinfecting reception room, check-in and check-out countertops and bathrooms every hour, and wiping doorknobs and sinks with disinfectant regularly.
  • Hydrogen peroxide rinses provided before treatment begins.
  • All patients will call to notify staff of their arrivals and wait in the car until they are ready to be seen.
  • Removing magazines, toys, and non-essential items from the reception room.
  • Practicing social distancing: which includes no handshaking and hugging.

Beautiful woman with perfect smile

Deep teeth cleanings to treat gum disease in Thibodaux, LA

Beautiful smile

Gum disease is incredibly common in the United States, with approximately half of Americans over the age of 30 having it to some degree. While it may just seem like it causes puffy gums or a little “pink in the sink,” periodontal disease is a serious issue that can negatively impact not just your oral health, but also your overall health and well-being. At Acadia Family Dentistry in Thibodaux, LA, we offer deep teeth cleanings as a first line of defense against gum disease.

Periodontal disease explained

To understand the benefits of deep cleanings in the treatment of periodontal disease, it helps to understand how the disease develops and progresses. When we eat, the sugars and starches in foods can lead to a buildup of a sticky substance called plaque on our teeth. If we don’t eliminate the plaque with regular brushing and flossing or miss hard-to-reach areas, the bacteria that are in plaque can begin to proliferate and cause inflammation in your gums. At this point, your gums might start pulling away from your teeth, causing open spaces called “pockets” to form. These pockets then contribute to worsening of gum disease, as they trap plaque and bacteria that cannot be removed by brushing, which can lead to further problems such as loose teeth, tooth loss, and deterioration of your jaw bone.

What are deep teeth cleanings?

For patients with periodontal disease, cleanings that focus on the outer surfaces of the teeth up to the gum line are typically not sufficient to address the overgrowth of bacteria, plaque, and tartar that are contributing to gum disease. That’s where deep teeth cleanings come in.

While routine cleanings get plaque off teeth up to where your gums and teeth meet, deep cleanings, also called scaling and root planing, are designed to target the areas beneath the gum line and down to the root of the tooth. A deep cleaning is a more extensive procedure than a traditional dental cleaning and involves the following steps:

  • The first part of deep cleaning your teeth, scaling, is performed using a specialized dental tool called a scaler; we use this to gently clean the plaque and bacteria from each periodontal pocket, taking great care to remove all debris and deposits
  • Then, we may perform an oral irrigation with an antibacterial rinse to eliminate any remaining bacteria
  • Root planing may also be performed to smooth the rough areas on the tooth roots to prevent bacteria and plaque from being able to adhere to it and improve your gums’ ability to reattach to your teeth

If you have symptoms of gum disease, don’t delay in seeking a diagnosis and treatment. The earlier we diagnose gum disease, the easier it is to treat your gums for a healthy smile. Call Acadia Family Dentistry at (985) 303-2920 to schedule your appointment today!

Dr. Nhu Le, DMD

Dr. Nhu Le, DMD - Acadia Family Dentistry

Dr. Nhu Le believes that her patients deserve the best dental care and treats them like family.

She attended high school in Iowa, obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, graduated from dental school at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, South Florida, and completed her General Practice Residency at the Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York. She worked for a group practice in Orlando, Florida for three years before moving to Southeast Louisiana and to New Orleans. She is currently following dental curriculum at Kois Center.

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