Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is an inconvenient, painful, and dangerous condition that attacks your smile and destroys your oral health if left untreated. Therefore, it is extremely important to do all you can to prevent this disease.
Gum disease develops when the plaque that resides on your teeth remains, covering your teeth and irritating your gums. After awhile, the plaque will make your gums red, swollen, and tender, making them bleed each time you brush your teeth. At this stage, the disease is known as gingivitis, which is a condition that can be treated easily. However, if it’s left untreated, it will advance to periodontitis, which is a more serious level of the disease that makes your gums pull away from your teeth and form pockets. After this happens, the small pockets begin to collect debris and infections. The plaque then spreads and grows below the gum line. Then, the toxins from the plaque begin to attack the underlying bone and tissues that hold your teeth in place. Eventually, the bone and tissue will become so damaged that your teeth will become loose. If the disease is still left untreated, it will lead to lost teeth.
The best way to prevent this disease is by attending your six month checkups. During these appointments, Dr. Cha, Dr. Dinh, or your hygienist will deeply clean your smile by scraping the plaque from the surfaces of your teeth. However, if you are already a victim of gum disease, we have a treatment available that may help you. This treatment is called scaling and root planing. If you want to restore the health of your smile, you will need to come into our office every three months to receive this treatment. During your appointments, Dr. Cha, Dr. Dinh, or your hygienist will deeply clean your teeth and gum pockets. We will also medicate your gums to promote healing. For more advanced cases, we may even refer our patients to a periodontist, who specializes in gum health and/or treat concurrently with him/her.
For more information about gum disease or to schedule a cleaning, please call our office today and talk to a member of our team. We look forward to helping you achieve strong and healthy gums!