Gum Disease

Periodontal disease (gum disease) is something many adults are diagnosed with each year. It can range from inflammation to major damage to soft tissue and bone support of the teeth. In some cases teeth are lost. There are several steps you can take to prevent gum disease or treat it once you have it. The best ways to prevent gum disease are proper dental hygiene and not smoking. Often gum disease is a result of plaque buildup and bacteria forming on the gums.

Some signs that you may have gum disease are:

• Red or swollen gums
• Painful chewing
• Tender or bleeding gums
• Loose of teeth
• Sensitive teeth
• Receding gums or longer appearing teeth

If you have any of these you need to schedule an appointment with your dentist office as soon as possible. The Arizona dentist will examine your gums for any inflammation and use a probe to measure any pockets. This evaluation is usually painless. They may also take an x-ray to check for bone loss. If the dentist determines that you do have gum disease there are several options to treat it. One treatment your dentist may recommend is a deep cleaning or scaling. The dental hygienist will scrape off any tarter above and below the gum line. In some cases a laser may be used to remove the plaque and tarter. There are also several medications that may help to treat your gum disease along with the scaling. Often medication is prescribed to help curb the production of bacteria on your gums, but usually is not a long term solution to fixing gum disease.

If your gum disease has progressed and caused damage to your gum line and your teeth, your dentist may recommend some surgical options. One option is flap surgery. This involves lifting back the gums and removing the tarter. The gums are then stitched back in place. After surgery the gum will fit more snugly around the tooth. In some cases the tooth will appear longer after surgery. Another option is bone and tissue grafts. For bone loss and grafting, a synthetic bone will be placed in the area of bone loss to help promote bone growth. For gum grafting the dentist will take a flap of skin from the roof of your mouth and stitch it to the area where there is gum loss is to cover up exposed tooth roots.

Gum disease can become a serious problem if not taken care of. Studies have shown that gum disease can be linked to heart disease and other health problems. The most important thing is to maintain healthy dental hygiene and see a dentist if you think you may have gum disease.