Gum disease is an incredibly common illness that affects millions of people every year. If you are experiencing symptoms of gum disease like bleeding gums, loss of gum tissue, discomfort, or inflammation, our expert team here at Waterbury Dental Care in Waterbury, CT, can help! We perform gum disease therapy procedures to help arrest the spread of the disease and even start to reverse the effects with time and regular care. To get started, give our friendly front desk staff a call today or book a cleaning appointment online!
What Is Gum Disease?
Gum disease is an infection of the gums that occurs when bacteria build up in your mouth and colonize your gum tissue over time. Extremely common, gum disease typically starts out with mild symptoms that are difficult to notice but can progress over time to cause significant damage to your oral and overall health. When left untreated, gum disease can not only result in the loss of gum tissue but in harm to your teeth and your jawbone — both of which can end up infected as well — and has even been linked to conditions like heart disease.
Gum disease is caused by bacteria, in combination with a range of factors that include genetics, oral hygiene habits, diet, and more. There is typically no one specific trigger for gum disease — it can’t necessarily be prevented simply by brushing regularly, for example — but maintaining good oral health habits is essential to minimize any impact from the disease.
Who Gets Gum Disease?
If you’re experiencing symptoms of gum disease, rest assured that you are in good company. Eventually, almost everyone develops a case. Gum disease affects most people at some point in their lives, with the majority of diagnoses occurring in people over the age of 30. Millions of people are diagnosed with gum disease every year, which means getting regular dental checkups to screen for gum disease is important.
What Are the Symptoms of Gum Disease?
Gum disease typically presents with minimal symptoms at first, which means that you may not notice that there is anything wrong. This makes regular dental checkups essential, as your dentist will catch signs of gum disease before they develop to the point where you will experience discomfort. When symptoms do manifest, they typically include things like:
- Bleeding gum tissue, especially during brushing or flossing
- Inflammation or a noticeable redding of the gums
- Loss of gum tissue
- Discomfort or pain
- Loose teeth
- Damage to teeth & jaw over time
What Is Gum Disease Therapy?
Fortunately, gum disease is highly treatable, especially when treatment begins during the early stages. We perform a routine treatment procedure called scaling and root planing as our frontline gum disease therapy. Scaling and root planing involves gently cleaning out pockets of gum tissue that have been infected with bacteria, and then smoothing out the roots of your teeth to remove plaque and tartar and make it more difficult for bacteria to take hold. We typically recommend that individuals with gum disease receive a scaling and root planing treatment (also known as a deep cleaning) every six months or so, although more severe cases may need more frequent appointments.
Please note that for especially complex cases, we may refer you to an outside periodontal specialist for treatment.
Ready to Get Your Gums Feeling Healthy?
Call today or book online to schedule a cleaning appointment!
