Laser-Assisted Periodontal Therapy in Mundelein: How It Works & Why It Helps
Compared to traditional periodontal surgery, laser-assisted treatment offers a host of benefits:
Read moreGeneral & Preventive
Periodontal Treatment in Mundelein, IL — Stop Gum Disease Before It Costs You Teeth
The short version
Periodontal (gum) disease is an infection of the tissues and bone that hold your teeth in place, and it’s the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. Nearly half of American adults over 30 have some form of it — and most don’t know, because gum disease is largely painless until it’s advanced. The good news: caught early, it’s very treatable, and even advanced disease can be controlled.
At Markiewicz Dental in Mundelein, IL, periodontal care doesn’t require a referral across town. Dr. Ryan Bogard, our board-certified periodontist, practices right here alongside our general dentists — so every patient is screened for gum disease at every exam, and if treatment is needed, specialist care happens under the same roof.
What Are the Signs of Gum Disease?
Gum disease rarely hurts in its early stages, which is exactly why it goes unnoticed. Watch for:
- Bleeding gums when you brush or floss
- Red, swollen, or tender gum tissue
- Gums pulling away from teeth (recession)
- Persistent bad breath that doesn’t resolve with brushing
- Teeth that feel loose or have shifted
- New gaps appearing between teeth
- Sensitivity near the gumline
- A change in how your bite fits together
One thing worth saying plainly: bleeding gums are not normal. Healthy gums don’t bleed with routine brushing and flossing — if yours do, that’s your earliest and most useful warning sign.
What Are the Stages of Gum Disease?
Gingivitis
The earliest stage — inflammation of the gum tissue caused by plaque along the gumline. Gums may look red or puffy and bleed easily, but no permanent damage has occurred yet. Gingivitis is fully reversible with professional cleaning and consistent home care. This is the stage where treatment is easiest, which is why we screen every patient at every visit.
Periodontitis
When inflammation goes untreated, infection spreads below the gumline. The gums begin to pull away from the teeth, forming pockets where bacteria collect, and the infection starts to break down the bone and connective tissue that anchor your teeth. Bone lost to periodontitis doesn’t grow back on its own — but the disease can be stopped and managed, and in some cases lost tissue and bone can be rebuilt with grafting procedures.
How Is Gum Disease Treated?
Treatment depends on the stage and severity of disease, which is why everything starts with a thorough periodontal evaluation — measuring the pockets around each tooth and reviewing your X-rays. From there, your dentist or Dr. Bogard will explain exactly what they found and what your options are.
Scaling and Root Planing (Deep Cleaning)
The first line of treatment for periodontitis. We clean carefully beneath the gumline, removing bacterial deposits and hardened tartar from the root surfaces so the gum tissue can heal and reattach. It’s typically completed over two visits with local anesthetic, and most patients are surprised how comfortable it is.
Periodontal Maintenance
After active treatment, gum disease is managed, not cured — like other chronic inflammatory conditions, it needs ongoing attention. Periodontal maintenance visits are deeper and more frequent than standard cleanings, typically every three to four months, to keep bacteria from re-establishing below the gumline.
Advanced and Surgical Therapies
For more advanced disease, Dr. Bogard provides specialist care on site, which may include localized antibiotic therapy, pocket reduction procedures, or gum and bone grafting to rebuild tissue lost to infection. If your care reaches this stage, you’ll get a clear explanation of what’s involved and why — no surprises, no pressure.
How Does Gum Disease Affect the Rest of Your Body?
The mouth isn’t sealed off from the rest of you. Research has linked untreated periodontal disease to higher risks of heart disease, complications in managing diabetes, respiratory infections, and pregnancy complications — the chronic inflammation and bacteria involved in gum disease don’t stay put. Researchers are still working out the exact mechanisms, but the association is strong enough that treating gum disease is increasingly seen as part of protecting your overall health, not just your teeth. It’s also a two-way street: conditions like diabetes make gum disease harder to control, and vice versa.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Gum Disease
Can gum disease be cured?
Gingivitis — the earliest stage — can be fully reversed with professional cleaning and good home care. Periodontitis can’t be “cured” in the sense of undoing all damage, but it can be stopped, controlled long-term with maintenance visits, and in some cases lost tissue and bone can be partially rebuilt with grafting. The earlier it’s caught, the more options you have.
Does gum disease treatment hurt?
Scaling and root planing is done with local anesthetic, so the treatment itself shouldn’t hurt. Some tenderness and temperature sensitivity for a few days afterward is normal and fades as the gums heal. If dental treatment makes you anxious, tell us — we have options to make you comfortable.
Is gum disease contagious?
The bacteria involved in gum disease can pass between people through saliva — sharing utensils, or kissing — but transferring bacteria isn’t the same as transferring the disease. Whether gum disease develops depends on your own immune response, oral hygiene, and risk factors. You can’t “catch” periodontitis the way you catch a cold, but if your partner has it, it’s a good reason for both of you to be evaluated.
Is gum disease genetic?
Genetics influence your susceptibility — some people build up harmful bacteria or respond to it with more inflammation than others. Smoking, diabetes, certain medications, hormonal changes, and stress also raise risk. If your parents had gum disease or lost teeth, mention it at your exam; family history helps us decide how closely to monitor you.
How often do I need cleanings if I have gum disease?
After periodontal treatment, most patients move to a maintenance schedule of every three to four months instead of the standard six. That interval isn’t arbitrary — it’s roughly how long it takes bacteria to re-establish below the gumline. Your exact schedule depends on how your gums respond, and it can lengthen as your health improves.
Can I prevent gum disease at home?
Largely, yes. Brush twice daily, clean between your teeth daily (floss, picks, or a water flosser — the one you’ll actually use is the right one), don’t smoke, and keep regular dental visits so tartar gets removed before bacteria colonize it. Home care controls plaque; only professional cleaning removes hardened tartar — you need both.
Is the link between gum disease and heart disease real?
The association is well documented — people with periodontal disease have higher rates of cardiovascular disease, and chronic inflammation is the suspected common thread. What research hasn’t proven is that gum disease directly causes heart problems, or that treating it prevents them. Our honest take: treat gum disease because it’s destroying the foundation of your teeth, and consider any whole-body benefit a bonus.
Do I need a referral to see the periodontist?
No. Dr. Bogard practices at Markiewicz Dental, so if your exam shows you’d benefit from specialist care, we coordinate it in-house — same records, same team, same building.
Patient reviews
From people who had this done here.
I have been a patient here for over twenty years and I would not go anywhere else. Everyone knows my name the moment I walk in, and the care has always been thorough and completely honest.
Dr. Markiewicz walked me through my implant plan on a 3D scan so I understood exactly what would happen. The surgery was far easier than I expected and the tooth looks completely natural.
I used to dread the dentist. This office changed that. They explained every step, checked in constantly, and never once made me feel rushed or judged about the work I had put off.
Bleeding gums, bad breath that won’t quit, or just overdue for a checkup? Call Markiewicz Dental at (847) 566-2811 or request an appointment online. General dentistry and board-certified periodontal care, together in Mundelein.
From the practice