Dental Gum Disease Treatment in Grover Beach, CA
What is a Periodontal (Gum) Disease?
Some Common Causes of Periodontal Disease
Symptoms
How to Prevent Periodontal Disease
What is Periodontal Disease?
Periodontal (gum) disease is a chronic infection that affects the tissues and bone that support your teeth. Periodontal disease is a silent and very serious condition that can destroy the bone that supports your teeth. It is a major cause of tooth loss in adults.
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Over 75% of Americans suffer from periodontal disease; most of them don’t even know it. Periodontal disease may be connected with diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
X-ray showing supporting bone.
X-ray showing bone loss.
Some Common Causes of Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease is caused by plaque, a sticky film that is always forming on your teeth. Plaque contains bacteria that can irritate and inflame the gums.
If plaque is not removed it can build up and can harden into tartar. In time, plaque bacteria damages the attachment of gums and bone to the teeth, the gum tissue pulls away from the tooth and more bacteria is trapped into the deeper pockets. At this point, the plaque cannot be removed with regular brushing. If left untreated, teeth may become loose and need to be removed.
Deep Pockets
Plaque
Inflammation
Healthy Gums
Periodontitis
Symptoms
Some warning symptoms include:
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Gums that bleed during brushing and flossing
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Red, swollen or tender gums
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Gums that have pulled away from your teeth
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Persistent bad breath or bad taste in the mouth
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Receding gums
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Formation of deep pockets between teeth and gums
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Pus between your teeth and gums
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Loose or shifting teeth
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Changes in the way teeth fit together upon biting down, or in the fit of partial dentures
Even if you don’t notice any symptoms, you may still have some degree of gum disease.
How to Prevent Periodontal Disease
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Daily oral hygiene like brushing and flossing.
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Maintain a well-balanced diet.
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Avoid clenching and grinding your teeth.
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Drink plenty of water, it helps reduce inflammation by producing more saliva which in turn dilutes toxins from plaque.
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Professional cleanings at least twice a year for proper plaque control.
BRUSH
At Least Twice a Day
+
FLOSS
Every Day
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Treatment
The goals of periodontal treatment are to promote reattachment of healthy gums to teeth; reduce swelling, the depth of pockets, and the risk of infection; and to stop disease progression.
Treatment options depend on the stage of disease, how you may have responded to earlier treatments, and your overall health. Options range from nonsurgical therapies that control bacterial growth to surgery to restore supportive tissues.
At WhiteCrest Smart Dentistry we can recognize if you have gum disease and determine its progression and precise treatment.
Scaling removes plaque and tartar from below the gumline.
Root planing smoothes the tooth root and helps the gums reattach to the tooth.