Early Warning Signs of Gum Disease
October 28, 2020 8:36 pm |Gum disease affects nearly 65 million Americans every year. It is the leading cause of tooth loss for adults. But did you know that gum disease is preventable?
In this blog post, we’ll cover the early warning signs of gum disease, along with how to both prevent and treat it using techniques we practice here at Meadow Creek Family Dentistry.
What Is Gum Disease?
Healthy gums are critical to good oral health because your gums protect the roots of your teeth. Gum disease is a condition caused by the overgrowth of bacteria along and under the gumline, which causes gums to become tender, swollen, and detached from your teeth. This leads to tooth decay, tooth sensitivity, tooth loss, and jawbone loss.
Without treatment, gum disease progresses through three stages: gingivitis, periodontitis, and advanced periodontitis.
Warning Signs of Gum Disease
Signs of early-stage gum disease include:
- Tender, swollen, and abnormally red gums
- Bleeding when brushing or flossing
- Receding gums
- Tooth sensitivity
- Painful gums
- Loose teeth or tooth loss
Gum Disease Prevention
At Meadow Creek Family Dentistry, we help our patients prevent gum disease by encouraging them to:
- Brush teeth twice a day for two minutes each time
- Floss every day
- Schedule twice yearly professional dental cleanings and checkups
- Maintain a balanced diet
- Drink plenty of water
- Avoid tobacco products
Gum Disease Treatment in Spartanburg & Inman, SC
Treatment for gum disease varies depending on how severe your gum disease is. At Meadow Creek Family Dentistry, we offer periodontal care that involves a deep cleaning treatment consisting of scaling and root planing.
Scaling removes plaque and tartar that has built up under the gumline. Root planing smoothes the roots of the teeth and allows the gums to reattach to the teeth. After we’ve cleaned your gums, we will apply a topical antibiotic to your gums to prevent further bacterial growth. If you have advanced gum disease, you might need to see us over the course of a few visits to complete your treatment.
If you would like to learn more about our periodontal treatment, please contact our Spartanburg office at (864)-585-0468 or our Inman office at (864)-472-9019. Or, schedule an appointment online. We look forward to seeing you!
Categorised in: Oral Health
