Your teeth play an important role in the way you smile. Although you need tooth structure to have a healthy smile, your gums are just as essential. Healthy gums support and protect your teeth. If you suffer from gum disease, your entire mouth can be compromised. This is the reason your visit to a dentist in Tukwila, WA, will always include a mouth examination. This allows your dentist to find signs of gum disease and other oral health issues.
What is Gum Disease?
Gum disease can develop due to poor oral hygiene. It comes in different stages. This bacterial gum infection occurs as an oral bacterial buildup. The earliest stage of gum disease is called gingivitis. Symptoms of this stage include gum bleeding, sore and swollen gums, gum recession, and bad breath. The second stage is known as periodontitis, which presents symptoms such as more serious gingivitis symptoms, misalignment, loose teeth, and tooth decay. Advanced periodontitis is a serious stage of gum disease. Its symptoms include jawbone infection, tooth loss, and more severe periodontist symptoms.
If you notice early symptoms of gum disease, see a dentist as soon as possible. The earlier your dentist spots and treats the condition, the better chance of avoiding more serious symptoms that can result in tooth loss.
Gum Disease Prevention and Treatment
You can prevent gum disease from developing through good oral hygiene practices. These include brushing your teeth twice every day for two minutes and flossing your teeth once a day. Also, you must visit your dentist twice a year for cleanings and checkups. You can further improve your oral health by using an antiseptic mouthwash after you brush and floss your teeth.
Dentists treat gingivitis by prescribing antibiotics to address the infection. If the disease has damaged your mouth’s soft and hard tissue, your dentist may need to do restorative procedures such as gum grafting to treat the receding gum, as well as scaling and root planing to get rid of plaque and tartar buildup. If gum disease results in tooth loss, your dentist can use dentures, dental implants, or dental bridges to replace your missing teeth.
These days, a lot of dentists use soft tissue lasers for fighting the symptoms of gum disease. Such technology is utilized in various gum treatments and provides better control and precision. Also, the majority of patients prefer laser treatments as they are quicker and less painful than traditional and surgical treatments for gum disease.