What is gum disease treatment?
Gum disease treatment in begins with an assessment of the severity of your condition. Early gum disease, known as gingivitis, may require little more than a professional dental cleaning and better brushing and flossing habits. Gingivitis is 100% reversible with good hygiene habits at home and regular dental cleanings.
Severe gum disease (also referred to as periodontitis) usually requires multiple components for successful treatment and requires life-long maintenance cleanings every 3 to 4 months.
Recognizing the signs of gum disease
It’s important to know what symptoms are associated with gum disease so that you know when you need to seek gum disease treatment.
Red, swollen, or bleeding gums
Bleeding, swollen, or red gums indicate that bacteria, plaque, and tartar are causing inflammation.
Persistent bad breath
If your bad breath won’t go away, even after you brush and floss, you likely have plaque and bacteria buildup that’s causing the odor.
Receding gums
When plaque and tartar aren’t removed from your teeth, your gums and bone become inflamed and they’ll start to recede if you don’t treat the inflammation. As your gums recede, you’ll notice that more of your teeth are exposed. Eventually, gum recession leads to increased tooth sensitivity and decay; it even increases your chances of losing your teeth.
What’s the process for gum disease treatment?
Gum disease treatment focuses on controlling the infection in your gums and addressing any oral health issues caused by your condition. We may suggest the following as part of your treatment:
Scaling and root planing
We use dental instruments or ultrasonic devices to remove tartar and bacteria from your teeth and beneath your gums; this is called scaling. Root planning then smooths your tooth roots to eradicate bacterial byproducts, reduce inflammation, and encourage your gums and bone to heal.
Oral or topical antibiotics
Oral antibiotics and bacteria-fighting gels and mouth rinses help get rid of bacteria that’s contributing to your gum inflammation and infection.
Gum grafting surgery
Gum grafting surgery is a gum disease treatment for moderate to severe cases of gum disease and gum recession. We remove healthy tissue from an area of your mouth and use it to fix areas with gum recession.
Bone grafting surgery
In advanced periodontitis cases, the bone around your tooth roots might be severely damaged. We’ll place a bone graft to stabilize the bone so that you don’t lose your teeth and encourage the production of new bone.
What are the benefits of gum disease treatment?
Gum disease treatment benefits your health and well-being in numerous ways:
You’ll prevent future dental problems
Gum disease treatment prevents future complications, like gum recession, tooth decay and infection, and tooth loss.
Your overall health will benefit
Studies indicate that gum disease can impact your overall health: there’s even a connection between gum disease and heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. Restoring your gum health helps you keep your body and mind healthy.
Your smile looks better
Gum disease causes puffy, red gums that may eventually recede or cause tooth decay. Fixing your gum issues gives you a healthy, flattering smile.
Dental treatments for all ages.
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