Gum disease can be the last thing you expected to deal with this year. And yet, once it has been discovered, treating gum disease is now a top priority. If left untreated, gum disease has a nasty habit of getting worse, leading to bad breath, gum recession, loss of teeth, and possibly infecting the rest of the body. Definitely not a road anyone wants to go down. You may find yourself asking, “What are the best treatments for gum disease?” But first, you need to know what to look for when determining if you have gum disease and which kind so you can begin treatment.
Signs of Gum Disease
Bleeding Gums If you notice a little blood in the sink when you spit or a pinkness to your toothbrush, this should be a red flag that you may have gum disease.
Red/Swollen Gums Healthy gums are pink and fit tightly around the teeth. If your gums appear red, even purple, and swollen, you could have gum disease.
Loose Teeth Loose teeth may remind you of yesteryear when you were a kid and often found a dollar under your pillow after losing the tooth. But as an adult, a loose tooth is not a good sign.
New Gaps between Teeth Once gum disease has taken hold, teeth begin to lose bone and one of the first places affected is between the teeth.
Exposed Roots Some people may think their teeth are getting longer but it is actually the gums receding, exposing the root of the tooth. The roots are not as strong as teeth and gentle brushing up and away from the root should be done carefully.
Types of Gum Disease
Many people have heard of the gum disease, Gingivitis. It is a milder precursor gum disease to Periodontitus, which is more severe and can lead to a number of health complications.
So how do you treat gum disease?
Treatments
- After suspecting that you may have gum disease, the first action is to make an appointment with Coral West Dental, or with your local dentist. This will help you to identify the severity of the gum disease and what course of treatment to take.
- In the days waiting for your appointment, you will want to stop any potential bacteria in their tracks, so no more damage can be done.
Finding an over the counter antiseptic or therapeutic mouthwash will keep the bacteria at bay while waiting for your appointment. Be careful not to choose a mouthwash that is for simply improving breath, because this won’t aid in oral health.
- If you, in fact, have gum disease, your dentist will recommend non-surgical treatments such as:
- At-Home Periodontal Trays
- Scaling - Deep cleaning of removing tartar from teeth
- Root Planing- Smoothing the root surface to keep tartar from building up and to promote a healthy environment for gums to reattach
- If your gum disease is more advanced, surgical treatments may be the solution such as:
- https://web.archive.org/web/20220207152341/https://www.coralwestdental.net/gum-diseasePeriodontal Surgery
- Laser Gum Surgery
- Dental Implants
Remember, the first step to treating gum disease, if you suspect it, is to get your mouth looked at by a dentist. The sooner your treatment starts, the less advanced the disease will be. Call Coral West Dental today to begin treating your gum disease.
