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Periodontal & Gum Disease
Protect Your Oral Health in Tampa

For improved gum health and periodontal disease treatment, North Tampa Dentistry can help! Book a periodontal exam today.

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Prevent and Treat Periodontal Disease Today!
Contact us in 33618

Gum Disease Treatment in North Tampa

Man with bad tooth pain from periodontal diseasePeriodontal disease is known to be a leading cause of tooth loss, and many people may not even know they have it until they start experiencing tooth pain or sudden bleeding. Over time and without treatment, gum disease is known to cause constant bad breath, bleeding and swollen gums, infections, and tooth decay.

At North Tampa Dentistry, we try to impress upon our patients the importance of oral health and keeping their gums strong and healthy by providing a wide range of gum disease treatments. 

What Causes Periodontal (Gum) Disease?

Gum disease is an infection that affects your teeth, gums, and soft tissue. Frequently, poor oral hygiene allows plaque to build-up on the teeth and gum line and eventually harden into tartar. 

Tartar is a yellow-looking substance that can’t be removed with brushing and flossing—only a dental professional can completely remove it. Tartar contains harmful bacteria that can be devastating once it spreads below the gum line.

While gum disease can be asymptomatic—meaning that symptoms can be mild—patients may start experiencing bleeding and swollen gums, difficulty chewing, and tooth loss. 

Benefits of Early Gum Disease Treatment

Gum disease is one of the most common dental conditions in adults. In many cases, it progresses without noticeable signs in its early stages. The goal of gum disease treatment at North Tampa Dentistry is to address the infection, reduce inflammation, and help you manage the condition before it worsens.

Stop Disease Progress

Gum disease is a chronic condition that tends to worsen without professional care. Early treatment removes bacteria below the gumline so the gums can begin to recover. Managing the disease typically results in less complex treatment.

Help Avoid Tooth Loss

Advanced gum disease is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in adults. As the infection progresses, it can damage the bone and tissue supporting the teeth. Treating gum disease at earlier stages may reduce your risk of tooth loss.

Protect Overall Health

Research links gum disease to several systemic health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. This connection is still being studied, but the indication is that early treatment helps support overall health and wellness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequent dental check-ups and examinations are vital to maintaining your oral health. Regular brushing and flossing at home in-between dental visits are just as crucial in preventing tooth decay and gum disease. However, even with proper and diligent oral care, some patients can still get gum disease—without even knowing it. Gum disease is often asymptotic, meaning that symptoms are mild or non-existent. 

Checking for gum disease

The only way North Tampa patients can truly know if they have gum disease is after Dr. Bellegarrigue has examined their teeth and gums for signs of infection. If left untreated, periodontal disease can lead to tooth and bone loss. 

While gum disease may not be apparent to Carrollwood, FL patients, there are a few signs that can indicate infection, such as:

  • Longer-looking teeth due to receding gumswoman concerned sitting in a dental chair
  • Bleeding or swollen gums, especially when brushing and flossing
  • Constant bad breath even after brushing
  • Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures

Do you have similar symptoms? Contact North Tampa Dentistry

If you notice any of these signs, call North Tampa Dentistry immediately. When caught early, gum disease is easily treatable and monitored. Left untreated, gum disease will require dental intervention and even surgery.

It's easy to prevent catching gum disease with regular dental check-ups and cleanings. If it's been a while since your last dental visit, give us a call today to visit Dr. Bellegarrigue at our 33618 dental office. Together, we can get your oral health back on track and keep it there.

Gum disease is an infection of gum tissue, and the leading cause of this condition is plaque build-up. Plaque is a sticky film that contains bacteria, some of which are harmful to the healthy gum tissue.

If you don’t regularly remove plaque from your teeth, it can accumulate and irritate the gums. Gum irritation then leads to redness, swelling, soreness, and bleeding. Brushing, flossing, and routine dental visits for teeth cleanings are essential for preventing and controlling gum disease. 

How to Prevent Gum Disease 

Here are some ways you can prevent gum disease:

  • Oral Hygiene at Home – Good oral hygiene can maintain healthy gums and reverse gingivitis, the earliest and most mild stage of gum disease. This means you must brush your teeth at least twice daily and floss once daily to remove plaque from the teeth and around the gums.
  • Routine Dental Cleanings – Routine dental visits in Tampa are also important because only a dental hygienist can thoroughly remove plaque and tartar from the teeth. They use special dental instruments and products to safely and gently clean your mouth. The hygienist can also show you how to maintain good oral hygiene at home. 
  • Reduce your risk – Smoking, tobacco use, and other factors can increase your risk for gum disease. 
  • Periodontal Maintenance – People with gum disease may need frequent appointments for periodontal maintenance, which removes plaque from the gum pockets and helps the tissue remain firm around the teeth.

Contact Us for Gum Disease Treatment in Tampa, FL 

Dr. Belle offers periodontal maintenance cleanings, gum surgery, and soft tissue grafts to treat gum disease in Tampa, FL. Give North Tampa Dentistry a call today at (813) 968-5368 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Belle. Our team can help keep your gums healthy and problem-free! 

Dry mouth is a condition where not enough saliva is being produced. Your saliva contains proteins and enzymes that lubricate your mouth and keep it healthy and happy by flushing away bacteria and reducing infections and bad breath.

A mouth without sufficient lubrication becomes a host to bacteria that leads to bad breath, plaque, and other oral problems. All of these increase your risk of tooth decay, gum disease, infections, and other oral health issues.

Teeth cleanings are an effective method for identifying many oral health issues, which is why we always recommend routine dental checkups and exams every six months. Your dentist in Hamlet and Brentwood can help assess your oral health and determine if you have dry mouth. 

Dry Mouth Can Be Uncomfortable

It can be challenging to talk, eat, swallow, taste food, or wear dentures. Prolonged dry mouth can create issues you may be unaware of like:

  • Bad breath
  • Cavities
  • Mouth infections
  • Gum disease

There are many different reasons why dry mouth might occur; common ones include stress, smoking, certain medications or illnesses, breathing or snoring through your mouth, diabetes, aging, and radiation therapy.

Call Us to Schedule a Dental Appointment

At North Tampa Dentistry, we encourage patients to make an appointment with your general dentist, Dr. Belle, so that he can find work with you to find a solution.

For more information, please refer to our recent blog.

If you notice that your gums are bleeding during brushing or flossing, it's important to contact your Tampa dentist right away and book an exam and professional teeth cleaning. Remember, a professional teeth cleaning is a key step in managing gum disease. 

Unfortunately, no toothpaste can heal bleeding gums, an early sign of a chronic condition called gingivitis or gum disease.  

What Is Gum Disease?

Gum disease is an infection of the bone and soft tissues or gums that support teeth. Gingivitis is the early stage of gum disease. With some changes to your home care and a thorough teeth cleaning and exam from your dentist, you may be able to manage your condition successfully and even reverse it in some cases.

Gum disease that goes unnoticed or untreated will continue to attack your teeth's primary support system and could result in further damage and even tooth loss.  

The Telltale Signs of Gingivitis

Gingivitis typically moves slowly and doesn't tend to cause much pain initially, so it often goes unnoticed. However, some signs to be aware of are:

  • Gums that bleed during brushing and flossing
  • Chronic bad breath you can't eliminate
  • Gums that appear red, irritated, and swollen

If you notice any of these signs or symptoms, contact your dentist in Tampa at (813) 968-5368. 

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Early Signs of Periodontal Disease

During your routine dental check-up, Dr. Roberto Bellegarrigue will examine your gums and track any changes or abnormalities. It is far easier to prevent gum disease from starting than it is to reverse any damage that occurs to your teeth and gums.

This is why it’s important to maintain your professional dental cleaning at least twice a year, and possibly more frequently as recommended by your North Tampa dentist. 

When gum disease first begins, it is known as gingivitis. Tell-tale signs of gingivitis include swollen or tender gums that bleed when you brush them, chronic bad breath, and receding gums (your teeth appear longer). During your deep cleaning therapy, your dentist or dental hygienist will perform scaling and root planing to remove the built-up tartar both above and below the gum line. 

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr. Robert Bellegarrigue

Dr. Roberto Bellegarrigue
Dentist

Dr. Bellegarrigue—also known as Dr. Belle—established North Tampa Dentistry so he could provide quality dentistry with honesty and compassion.

Dr. Roberto Bellegarrigue is a graduate of Tulane University with a B.S. degree in Molecular Biology. While at Tulane, his research on bone marrow cancer was published in several medical journals worldwide. In the spring of 2000, he obtained his Doctorate from the University of Florida College of Dentistry. Go Gators!

After graduation, he completed a Dental Residency Program with the Hillsborough County Dental Research Clinic; here he created a special ...

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Treatments for Gum Disease at NorthTampa Dentistry

Treatments for Gum Disease at North Tampa Dentistry

Woman smiling at Lake Conservation Park in Lutz, FLOver time, gingivitis will develop into periodontitis; at this stage, your gums will pull away from the teeth, creating deep pockets for bacteria to thrive in. Once bacteria reach your tooth root, the inflammation and infection can lead to tooth loss. 

Our North Tampa dental office is well-versed in treating all stages of gum disease, and we have many dental treatments to aid patients. Dr. Bellegarrigue can clean plaque and tartar, perform gum surgery, and soft tissue grafts to restore and tighten loose gum “pockets” to prevent food particles from lodging and tooth infection. 

If you are experiencing bleeding and swollen gums, bad breath, sudden sensitivity to hot or cold foods, or notice that your teeth appear longer, please call our North Tampa dental office immediately so we can prevent damage to your teeth and gums. 

Contact North Tampa Dentistry to Book an Exam

Preventive dentistry is the best way to ensure that your teeth and gums are strong and healthy. Part of prevention involves regular dental check-ups and cleanings. If it’s been a while since your last dental cleaning, contact North Tampa Dentistry today to schedule a periodontal examination with your dentist. 

North Tampa Dentistry serves patients near Carrollwood, Lake Magdalene, Northdale, Lutz, and surrounding Tampa, FL areas. 

Featured Blog Posts - Periodontal & Gum Disease

October 4, 2024

Can Advanced Periodontitis Be Reversed? Stage-by-Stage Treatment Guide

Gum Treatment Application

Advanced periodontitis, or severe gum disease, represents one of the most serious forms of periodontal disease. Often misunderstood as an irreversible condition, advanced periodontitis can be managed, and in some cases, partially reversed. However, this depends significantly on timely, consistent intervention and professional periodontal care from a trusted dentist in Tampa. 

What Is Periodontitis

Periodontitis occurs when bacteria-laden plaque hardens beneath the gum line, causing inflammation and deep pockets around the teeth. If untreated, this inflammation destroys the supportive tissues and bones around the teeth, leading to tooth mobility, potential tooth ...
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September 6, 2021

September Is National Gum Care Month!

woman in dental chair

You probably don't think much about your gums, but did you know that they are an essential foundation for your healthy smile? Along with your jawbone, your gums support your teeth, and if you suffer from gum disease, your smile could be at risk.

Since September is National Gum Care Month, Dr. Belle and his team hope to increase awareness about gum health by educating patients about gum disease in North Tampa. Here's what you should know so you can protect your healthy smile. 

What Is Gum Disease?

When you cannot ...
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