Gum Disease
Athens, AL
 Periodontitis, or gum disease, is a serious infection and inflammation of the bone and tissues that hold your teeth. In its early stages, it's called gingivitis, and in its later stages, it's referred to as periodontitis. Gingivitis makes the gums become red and swollen, and they may sometimes bleed. Periodontitis can cause chewing issues, loosen teeth, and pull the gums away from the teeth, resulting in tooth loss in its advanced stages. Gum disease is preventable by brushing, flossing, and visiting the dentist on a regular basis. Visit us at Singing River Dentistry to schedule an appointment for a gum disease exam.
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One of the Most Common Symptoms Indicating Gum Disease
Bleeding gums following brushing and flossing is by far one of the most common indicators that you could have gum disease. As soon as toxins enter your body from bacteria, your body will send out a defense to protect itself. This self-defense is done through the creation of blood vessels to help fight against the toxins. Your gums looking red is the result of the new blood vessels. As the blood vessels are struck by the bacteria, they will become delicate and cause them to bleed.
While gum disease is a major cause of bleeding gums, there are many other diseases that could cause bleeding. Regardless, it is mostly due to the build-up of plaque that will eventually lead to bleeding gums.
If you do experience bleeding gums while brushing and flossing at home, you can stop the bleeding by using hydrogen peroxide. Rinsing with hydrogen peroxide has been found to reduce or eliminate plaque and decrease swelling.
Bleeding gums are not a sign you should ignore, however. If you experience this, it is important that you schedule an appointment with us for a dental examination and cleaning so we can determine what is going on and offer proper dental care and treatment.
The Effects of Gum Disease
Gum disease can affect everyone and is primarily caused by bacterial plaque, a white film that forms on your teeth. Dental plaque contains bacteria that generate chemicals that harm your teeth and gums. If plaque is left on the surface of your teeth for a prolonged period, it hardens into tartar, a harsh and porous deposit. Plaque and tartar build-up is avoidable with daily brushing and flossing.
Note that plaque build-up is hard to avoid despite your best brushing efforts, necessitating professional dental cleaning. Deep cleaning will assist in the removal of all plaque and tartar, reducing the incidence of dental caries. Cleaning your teeth also helps to remove bacteria from beneath the gum line, protecting you from gum disease. Gum disease that goes untreated can affect the bone tissues that surround the dental roots, resulting in bad breath, unsightly gum tissue, and eventually tooth loss.
Gum Disease Prevention
Unfortunately, gum disease may be unavoidable for some individuals as their genes may play a role in gum disease. This may be the case for gum disease that is more aggressive in nature.
Periodontitis is avoidable if you maintain appropriate oral hygiene throughout your life. This entails brushing your teeth at least twice a day, in the morning and at night before you sleep. You should floss every day, more so before you brush. Flossing is crucial because it removes all food particles stuck between your teeth.
Ensure you see the dentist at least twice a year for routine check-ups and teeth cleaning. Those who have a lot of dental concerns should come in and see us more often.
Furthermore, you should stop using tobacco products because they can hurt your gums, causing gum disease.
Treatment for Gum Disease
Deep Cleanings, Followed by Antibiotics
Even serious periodontitis can be treated, but it will take a long time and need extensive treatments. These consist of deep teeth cleanings like root planing and scaling that removes all tartar and rough stains on the root of your teeth, where bacteria hide. Antibiotics can be prescribed by your dentist to entirely eliminate gum infections that were not eliminated during your cleaning.
Surgical Treatments
Surgical treatments are employed when the disease is in the latter stages. Flap surgery is one option which reduces the size of the pockets along the gum line. If the gum inflammation is severe, your dentist will perform flap surgery. The operation aids in the removal of sediments behind the gums. Gum grafts are also used to replace damaged tissue.
Another form of surgical treatment for periodontal disease is called bone grafting. Bone grafts are good at helping to grow new bone and replicate the bone that may have been destroyed by gum disease. During the procedure, the periodontist folds back part of the gum and cleans out any infected gum tissue. Next, the material for the bone graft will be put onto the part of the body that will help to grow new bone.
There are many benefits to bone grafts. For instance, bone grafts can even fix the damage from periodontal disease and may improve the likelihood of you keeping your teeth. It is important to keep your mouth, gums, and teeth extremely clean and sanitary as the bone graft is healing and contact our dental team if you have any serious swelling or pain that is not fixed by medication.
Bone grafting is beneficial for patients who have lost bone since it helps to regenerate it. Follow-up appointments are critical since they allow your dentist to track your recovery and progress. If you are not responding well, we can suggest different treatments.
Gum Disease Treatment at Singing River
Periodontal disease is a common and serious disease of the gums. It is of utmost importance that you seek treatment at our office at the first sign of any gum disease. We can discuss your treatment options with you if we determine that you have it. If you or someone you know has any oral health problems or thinks you need treatment for gum disease, please contact Singing River Dentistry by calling (256) 293-5393 today.
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