(559) 875-7980Seeing blood when you brush or floss your teeth can indicate the early stages of gum disease, called gingivitis. Your teeth and gums are important to your overall health. Gum disease can raise your risk of pneumonia, heart disease, and diabetes.
Pain in your mouth can be challenging, and because your mouth has many blood vessels and nerves that keep your teeth and tissue healthy, the pain can become overwhelming. Periodontics in Kingsburg helps protect your oral and overall health.
What Is Gum Disease?
Gum disease describes two types of infection that affect your gums: gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis is a mild form of gum disease in which the infection occurs only on your gums, but when it is left untreated, it can travel into your bone and become a more serious form called periodontitis.
The condition starts when plaque and tartar begin to build on the surface of your teeth. When these build up along the gum line, the tissue reacts to the bacteria living in the plaque, which causes the gum tissue to become red, tender, and swollen. Tissue damage may also cause your gums to bleed when you floss or brush.
The earlier that gum disease is treated, the better the chance of maintaining long-lasting oral health. Gingivitis is the medical term used to describe the early stage of gum disease, and it is reversible. However, as the infection becomes more severe, it damages your gum and underlying bone, which can lead to tooth loss and further infection.
This later stage is called periodontitis. Other symptoms of gum disease include:
- Bad breath
- Sensitive teeth when you drink cold fluids
- Gums that look like they are getting smaller
- Change in the appearance of your smile when periodontitis causes your teeth to become loose and shift
Our staff in Kingsburg can do a thorough dental examination to determine the health of your gums and help develop a periodontics plan to protect your oral health. In many cases, gingivitis can be treated at home, but periodontitis requires different treatments depending on the stage of the disease.
What Are the Stages of Periodontal Disease?
When your gums are healthy, they are firm to the touch and they do not bleed or become swollen. When you have advanced gum disease, the tissue can break down around your teeth. This happens gradually and many people do not notice it, especially during the early stages. There are four stages to gum disease.
Gingivitis
This the earliest stage and is typically reversible with proper treatment. Your gums may look slightly puffy, and they may bleed when you floss or brush.
Mild Periodontitis
When your gums begin to pull away from your teeth during mild periodontitis, this creates pockets around them. Plaque and bacteria build up in those pockets, which can affect the supporting bone.
Moderate Periodontitis
When mild periodontitis is left untreated, the bacteria begin to affect the ligaments that hold your teeth in place. You might notice pus around your gum line and bad breath.
Advanced Periodontitis
The last stage causes bone loss in your jaws, which causes your teeth to become loose and fall out. Although the early stages are reversible, once you begin to lose bone, the disease can only be managed with proper treatment.
Periodontic treatment in Kingsburg can reverse these symptoms in the early stages.
How Does Periodontics Treat Gum Disease?
Periodontics is a branch of dentistry that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal diseases.
Periodontics in Kingsburg uses non-surgical and surgical strategies to treat gum disease. Non-surgical gum disease treatments begin at home with good oral hygiene and scheduling routine dental cleanings twice a year so a professional can remove plaque and tartar from the surface of your teeth.
When routine cleaning is not enough, Dr. Mann may recommend scaling and root cleaning to clean below the gum line and along your root surfaces. Rough spots on the roots of your teeth will also be smoothed to help prevent bacteria and plaque from reattaching. You also may be prescribed antibiotics to reduce bacterial growth.
Gum disease treatment can include pocket reduction surgery, also called flap surgery, which temporarily moves the gums away from the teeth so your dentist can remove tartar and potentially reshape areas of damaged bone.
As gum disease progresses, treatment may require dental bone grafting to repair damaged areas or gum grafting to repair gum tissue recession. Guided tissue regeneration may be required during a bone graft to keep the gum tissue from growing where the bone should be.
Call Today to Schedule Your Periodontics in Kingsburg Consultation
Your teeth and oral health are important to your quality of life. Pain and discomfort, loose teeth, and bone loss can create significant challenges to speaking and eating.
Call our office today to schedule your consultation for periodontics in Kingsburg and learn more about how we can help prevent this disease and offer evidence-based, effective treatments.