Gum disease infects your gums primarily because you don’t maintain proper oral hygiene. When you allow plaque to accumulate on your teeth and harden into tartar, you develop periodontal disease.
When gum disease is left untreated, it damages the jaw and tooth loss. There are various stages of gum disease the dentist in Poway treats. The dentist offers surgical and nonsurgical treatments for gum disease at their facility.
Gum disease is a silent infection, and the symptoms don’t appear until you have an advanced stage of the condition. Common gum disease symptoms include:
If you suspect you have gum disease, our periodontist near you can help diagnose your condition and treat you.
Untreated gum disease or gingivitis eventually advances to periodontal disease, a severe stage of the infection. The condition and pockets deepen while at the same time eating away at your jaw until your teeth become loose to fall out.
With the progress of gum disease, your gums begin receding and separate from the teeth and your jawbone to form periodontal pockets. The formation of periodontal pockets changes your bite and pain when chewing or biting.
When you seek treatment for gum disease from the Poway dentist, they initially inquire into the symptoms of periodontal diseases to determine which stage of gum disease you have. When you treat gum disease in its earliest stages, it minimizes damage and the need for surgery.
Some periodontal treatments offered by the dentist include:
The dentist removes plaque and tartar from your teeth above and below the gum line during routine dental cleanings. If the dentist suspects any signs of gum disease, they recommend you have more frequent dental cleanings.
Scaling and root planing help in situations where gum disease is detected early. The deep cleaning nonsurgical procedure is performed under local anesthesia to scrape plaque and tartar above and below the gum line. Rough spots on the tooth root are smoothened with planing. The smoothening helps remove bacteria to offer a clean surface for the gums to reattach.
If the above is insufficient, the dentist recommends flap surgery to reduce pockets, bone grafts to strengthen your jawbone, and laser gum surgery because it is painless and reduces post-operative tooth sensitivity. In addition, laser surgery requires minimal downtime after treatment.
Gum disease is an entirely preventable condition you bring upon yourself by neglecting proper oral hygiene practices. It is why dentists suggest you brush your teeth twice a day, floss them at least once and get six-monthly dental exams and cleaning to ensure you are not a victim of this condition.
Unfortunately, if you do not adhere to your dentist’s advice, you develop gum disease without realizing it and even let the condition advance to periodontal disease, which you must maintain throughout your life.
If gum disease is a preventable periodontal disease does not have a treatment. You must schedule frequent appointments with your dentist for intensive and expensive procedures that you might find are a hassle.
The optimal way to ensure you don’t develop the periodontal disease is to ensure you prevent gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease, from affecting you. If you notice any bleeding while brushing or flossing your teeth, you must see your dentist right away, seeking a remedy for the issue.
If you have developed gingivitis must change your oral hygiene practices in line with the advice of your dentist to ensure the condition does not progress.
However, if you neglect your dental health and allow the periodontal disease to develop, you must prepare to maintain the situation as best possible by seeking frequent treatments for the problem.
Gum disease continues to progress when left untreated. Therefore, when you seek gum disease treatment at the North County dental group, the professionals work with you to improve your gum health.
However, you must schedule appointments with the periodontist at our facility and commit to maintaining proper oral hygiene when you begin receiving treatments for this condition. If you are affected by the condition, please schedule an appointment with the facility to receive the treatment required.
Dr. Jackie Calcagno is our in-house pediatric dentist at North County Dental Group in Poway. She completed a residency in pediatric dentistry after graduating from dental school. Because of her experience and training, Dr. Jackie has a special touch with children, and understands how best to cater to their specific needs.