Periodontal disease impacts the health of millions of smiles, including half of adults over the age of 30. Our team wants to help your smile stay free of the disease, as this could be a factor in the loss of adult teeth. In today’s blog, your Rochester, MN, dentist talks about avoiding periodontal disease and keeping smiles strong.
The Factors Behind Periodontal Disease
How does a smile develop periodontal disease? This usually happens in adulthood, and occurs when inflammation, also known as gingivitis, isn’t treated in a timely manner. The gums become inflamed due to factors like plaque buildup brought on by poor oral hygiene, tobacco use, family history of gum issues, inflammatory illnesses, and certain medications. The gums feel sore and appear redder than usual, and may bleed easily. Without treatment, the tissues begin to pull away from the teeth and form pockets. Once the disease-causing bacteria enter these pockets, periodontal disease develops. Your symptoms worsen and in the advanced stage, periodontitis, you could risk the loss of your teeth.
Common Warning Signs
As we mentioned above, changes to your gum tissues are often the first indicators of trouble. Gingivitis can form in kids and adults alike, cause inflammation, redness, soreness, and bleeding. In adults, this can progress into the disease, and threaten the stability of the smile with time. Swelling could also occur, along with gum recession, which makes the teeth appear longer than usual. When you or a family member experience these negative changes to your smile, let us know right away. Using advanced technology, we can make a diagnosis with accuracy and precision, and then plan a treatment process to manage it and safeguard your smile against painful symptoms and negative impacts to your smile’s stability.
Preventive Approaches
How do you protect your smile? If you attend regular six-month visits to our office, we will conduct cleanings that remove all plaque and tartar before it can inflame the gum tissues. If you’re already exhibiting the warning signs of disease, we could use a scaling and root planing, also known as a deep cleaning, to remove buildup from the teeth and the roots, often in one visit. However, severe buildup could mean multiple visits. At home, you can help by avoiding tobacco products, cutting back on foods and drinks high in sugar, and of course, brushing and flossing daily to remove food particles and control plaque buildup.
TALK TO YOUR ROCHESTER, MN DENTIST ABOUT IMPROVING GUM HEALTH
Our team is ready to keep smiles of all ages strong and healthy. If you would like to learn more about safeguarding your smile, or if you wish to book an appointment at our location, call Greenview Cosmetic And Family Dentistry in Rochester, MN at (507) 281-3659.
