Periodontal Disease

What is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal Disease, or gum disease, destroys the gums and bone supporting your teeth. An overgrowth of bacteria and their toxins overwhelms the immune system.

What are the first signs of gum disease?

The gum line turns red, swells and bleeds when you brush or floss. This is called gingivitis (swollen gums).

What does gum disease look like?

Besides redness, swelling and bleeding, the gums recede, exposing tooth roots and making teeth longer. Dark triangles form between teeth, the space where gums and bone used to be. Food gets caught between teeth. Teeth loosen and drift apart in some cases creating tooth gaps.

Can gum tissue grow back?

You can reverse swelling, bleeding and redness with a professional dental cleaning and improving your home care. Our dental hygienist can offer great tips on home care. Untreated gingivitis can turn into periodontitis, an infection in the bone.  Gum fibers detach from teeth, gums recede, and bone is destroyed. Bone loss and receding gums do not grow back.

Will I lose teeth if I have periodontal disease?

Gum disease is the #1 cause of tooth loss. It is mostly unnoticed until a severe infection causes pain. By then, bone destruction is extreme, and a tooth extraction may be necessary. More than half of adults older than 30 have periodontitis.

Can you die from gum disease?

The health risks of gum disease are serious. Your body’s immune system is under constant stress from fighting a chronic infection. Inflammation in your blood rises and it’s linked to heart disease, stroke, cancer, early term pregnancies, diabetes and more!  

How can I make my gums healthy again?

The best treatment for gum disease is removing the bacteria. We recommend deep cleaning, scaling and root planing to remove bacteria and laser periodontal therapy to disinfect the gum pocket. After therapy, the gums heal naturally, and we suggest warm salt-water to soothe and shrink the deep pockets. Oral irrigation is the best way to keep gum pockets clean at home. Our dental hygienist has many tips, tools and techniques to make your personal hygiene routine shine.

How long does it take for gum disease to go away?

Gum disease cannot be cured but you can control your periodontal health with a winning combination of periodontal therapy and awesome home care techniques. Treating gum disease early, to avoid bone loss, saves your smile and improves your health. Our dental hygienist screens for gum disease and evaluates periodontal health at every dental health visit. We take a positive approach to educate, motivate and cheer you on to total gum health.