Gum Disease

What is gum disease

Periodontal (gum) disease is an infection of the gums. The tissues that hold your teeth in place. Generally it is caused by poor oral health habits. Poor brushing and flossing that permits plaque—a film of bacteria that sticks to your teeth to build up and harden on your teeth.

what is Risk of Tooth Decay

Advanced gum disease destroys gum tissue, causing the gums to shrink back from the teeth. This exposes the tooth roots.

With advanced gum disease the teeth appear longer than healthy teeth. This exposes the tooth’s roots to an enhanced risk of tooth decay.

Curing Gum Disease

Is Gum Disease Curable?

Unfortunately, it is difficult to eliminate gum disease entirely. However, we can detect early warning signs of gum disease at your regular dental checkups. At this stage, prevention might be as simple as changing your brushing technique, improving your flossing routine, or changing the products you use for oral care at home.

Once gum disease sets in, we can often treat it with non-surgical therapy including:

Scaling – to remove hardened plaque from below the gum line
Root Planing – to reduce rough areas on teeth roots
Antibiotic Therapy – to battle infection
Laser Treatment – to remove bacteria and promote gum reattachment
Surgery – advanced cases may require the care of a periodontist, in which case we will refer you to a trusted colleague

Expect to attend more frequent hygiene visits so that a dentist or hygienist can monitor your condition and make sure that recovery is on track.

Symptoms of Gum Disease

Gum disease is an infection of the gums and bone that support teeth, and it usually starts early in life, then progresses as a person ages. It all starts when plaque hardens into tartar (also called calculus) below the gum line. This irritates vulnerable soft tissues and infection can set in. Combined with decaying food particles lodged between teeth and bacteria emitted by plaque, the infection can spread quickly.

Symptoms are so mild in the early phase, many patients don’t recognize them: red, tender, swollen gums, bleeding when brushing teeth.

Regular dental check ups are vital because a professional can detect, treat, and reverse gum disease in early stages before major problems arise.

Seventy percent of adult tooth loss is attributed to gum disease. Recent research shows a link between patients who have gum disease and those who suffer from strokes, heart attacks, or complications with diabetes or pregnancy.

As the condition progresses, gums recede from teeth and pockets of bacteria form. The bacteria can destroy gum tissue and bone, causing tooth and bone loss.

Why is Gingivitis serious?

Recent research reveals that gum disease is linked to increased risk for major overall health problems, including but not limited to stroke, heart disease, respiratory problems, osteoporosis, diabetes complications, low birth weight, and most recently, dementia.
Because of these findings, research continues. We may learn much more in the next few years.

It makes perfect sense, though – gum disease linked to overall health problems. Everything that enters or is present in the mouth has access to the whole body. The mouth is like a portal to the body. That’s why regular checkups and hygiene visits are vital to not only oral health but also overall health.

Gum Disease is Treatable

How do I Maintain Good Periodontal Health?

Regular dental visits at least every six months allow us to keep a watchful eye on the health of your gums. You should also brush twice a day, floss once a day, and use good mouth rinses at home. We will recommend the products that will optimize your oral homecare, and we can also show you the best methods for brushing and flossing. If you have overcome periodontal disease, we will recommend frequent checkups to ensure your mouth stays healthy for a lifetime.

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10 Home Remedies That Can Help Prevent Gum Disease or Gingivitis

1. Brush your teeth at least twice a day. Ideally, brush your teeth after each meal.

2. Use an electric toothbrush as this will help you clean your teeth better, especially the spaces between the teeth. Remember that this does not replace flossing.

3. Do not use a toothbrush that has very hard bristles. This can scour your teeth as well as sometime damage the gums. Ensure that your toothbrush is capable of the best clean.

4. Replace your every three to four months or as needed.

5. Floss at least once daily. Use a mouthwash.

6. Ask your dentist to recommend which mouthwash may be best for you.

7. Use an interdental brush to get to those spaces between your teeth, where your toothbrush cannot reach.

8. Visit your dentist at the frequency recommended by your dentist. At the minimum, once a year.

9. Do not smoke or chew tobacco.

10. Cut down on sugary snacks and beverages.

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common questions

How is gum disease treated

Once gum disease sets in, we can often treat it with non-surgical therapy including:

Scaling – to remove hardened plaque from below the gum line
Root Planing – to reduce rough areas on teeth roots
Antibiotic Therapy – to battle infection
Laser Treatment – to remove bacteria and promote gum reattachment
Surgery – advanced cases may require the care of a periodontist, in which case we will refer you to a trusted colleague

What is the best treatment for gum disease?

Mild cases of gum disease can generally be treated by your dentist with a through cleaning of accumulated tartar and calculus. You will need to maintain a model level of oral hygiene. This model oral hygiene will include brushing your teeth at least twice a day, regular daily flossing, and using the mmouthwash recommended by your dentist. Ensure that you have regular appointments with your dentist for check-ups.

What is the best natural treatment for gum disease?

The best natural at home treatment for gum disease (gingivitis) could be a Salt water rinse. This is a natural medicine almost universally used for gums’ discomfort! Salt water targets the origin of gum discomfort and helps to reduce the inflammation and swelling that has come due to gum disease. Bear in mind that saltwater rinses while very helpful, cannot by themselves be a treatment for gum disease.

Is hydrogen peroxide good for periodontal disease?

Hydrogen peroxide is used by some dentists as an efficient method in the removal of plaque and tartar from teeth. Studies demonstrate that a hydrogen peroxide treatment combineed with debridement helps in reducing periodontal disease. Gargling with Hydrogen peroxide can also benefit the areas towards the back of the mouth that are difficult to reach.

What is Scaling and Root Planing?

Scaling is the process by which your dentist removes tartar from the surfaces of your teeth above and below the gumline, ensuring that the tooth is cleaned all the way down to the bottom of the pocket.

Root planing on the other hand is the process of smoothening the root surfaces and removing any infection, to help your gums reattach to your teeth.

Can gum disease be reversed??

The answer to this question depeends upon, the severity of gum disease and how far the disease has progressed. At the earliest stage of gum disease, known as gingivitis, the symptoms are mild inflammation, and your dentist can reverse these with deep cleanings of your teeth and gums. This can be maintained by you with continued good oral hygiene. The advanced chronic stage of gum disease is the condition known as periodontitis.

Which vitamin is good for gums?

Vitamin C is the vitamin that is most beneficial for it can strengthen your gums and the soft tissue in your mouth. Vitamin C can aditionally help in the body’s defence against gingivitis. It can also help to prevent your teeth from loosening. Bear in mind that Vitamin C wont work by itself in the absence of a balanced diet and good oral health routines like regular brushing and flossing.

Is dental deep cleaning painful?

Different people react differently to pain. Most people experience very little pain when the gum pockets are minimally deep. Some people mmay exprience discomfort after the deep cleaning process, for some time. However, some patients do experience pain both during and after the deep dental deep cleaning process. Your dentist will administer anesthesia as needed to relieve you from the pain.

Can my hygienist help in the treatment of gum disease?

If you have gum disease and its in an early stage, your hygienist will use deep dental cleaning to remove all tartar and calculus from pockets that develop around the infected gums. This proocedure is called scaling and root planing.

Deep cleaning is a non-surgical procedure it helps to treats and can reverse periodontal disease in its early stages.

What kills gum disease bacteria?

Antibiotics kill the bacteria that flourish with gum disease. Both topical as well as oral antibiotics can help control bacterial infection. Topical antibiotics could be antibiotic mouth rinses or gel for gum poockets that contains an antibiotic. Your dentist could determine if oral antibiotics are needed to cure the infection.