Information on Treatments for Gum Disease

Ritter and Ramsey General and Cosmetic Dentistry service Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, and all of Palm Beach County, Florida.

Once you have determined what both gum disease is and that you might have gum disease, your very first step is to see your dentist.

Your gums are the soft tissue that seals everything around your teeth. Not as soft as your lips or cheeks because they have to deal with the force of chewing food, the gums protect your teeth, their root structure and the supporting bones holding it altogether. If you have identified that you might have gum disease because by looking in the mirror you noticed that either they were swollen or had gotten a little deeper in color then you need to act. Or, if your breath has become bad and you can’t correct it. Maybe after brushing your brush has some pink color on it. This may be blood from swollen gums.

Gum disease is the simple result of infection. Infection caused by bacteria. Bacteria trapped in your mouth around your gums by plaque or tartar. Plaque is a sticky substance that adheres to your teeth. If you do not brush regularly or do a poor job brushing this plaque remains and will then turn into tartar. Both carry bacteria that will begin to infect your gums. If left unattended that bacteria will create infection in your gums. Think about a scratch or cut on your arm. If you don’t clean it and treat it, won’t it get red and infected? Your gums are no different.

When you go to see your dentist they will immediately confirm your suspicions and administer the first step. Either the dentist or the hygienist will proceed with a thorough cleaning of your teeth. By using a scaler they will deliberately scrape off the plaque and tartar. Depending on how severe the disease is they can go down the teeth, under the gums, only so far. If necessary it may require a surgical procedure to go deeper to get the tartar removed from the roots. At this point in might be necessary to see a periodontist, an individual that specializes in dealing with your gums and potential diseases. There may be medication prescribed to combat the infection as well by either party.

Most of the time a professional cleaning sets you on the right path. You may be given some brushing techniques that would improve your efforts, but you will and should brush twice a day and floss once a day to continue to remove any plaque that will attempt to return. With the removal of the plaque and tartar the gums will begin to heal themselves. An antiseptic mouthwash might be suggested to combat bacterial in addition to your other efforts.

A follow up appointment will be very beneficial to allow the dentist to monitor your progress. Once the dentist, hygienist or even periodontist have addressed your problem they will give you directions on your personal home oral hygiene to stay ahead of any further gum possible gum disease. Your oral hygiene plays a huge role in your overall general health.

In you're interested in learning more about gum disease, or are concerned you may have symptoms it's not to late to get treatment. Contact Ritter and Ramsey General and Cosmetic Dentistry located in Jupiter, Fl for your consultation today. We're happy to help you start your journey towards optimal oral health.

If you're just interested in reading more about gum disease, and learning more, here's some reading on what Gum Disease actually is.