Maintaining a healthy smile requires taking care of your gums as well as you take care of your teeth. These tissues provide the critical connection between your teeth and jaw, and when they become diseased, you can lose this connection. By letting us know as soon as you experience symptoms of gum disease, we could put you on a periodontal maintenance schedule to control or potentially reverse your infection. When bacteria reaches your jawbone, the infection becomes permanent, so do not wait before making an appointment.
At your Rochester, MN dental practice, we stress the importance of taking care of your gums. From brushing your teeth each day to attending your dental checkups regular, there are best practices you should take to help prevent an infection. If you do experience this unfortunate problem, we can aid your recovery to help prevent the potential loss of your teeth.
What Causes Gum Infections?
When your gums feel constantly sore and begin to bleed, this is a common sign of a periodontal infection. Your body’s inflammatory response to bacterial infection is it’s attempt to rid itself of the infection. Unfortunately, this response causes the tissue to recede and your tissues to disintegrate. Without appropriate treatment, this loss of tissue can progress to the point where your teeth become unstable and begin to fall out. Common causes are food and drinks high in sugar and starch. If you use tobacco, you are at higher risk for experiencing an infection as well.
Best Practices To Prevent Gum Disease
The habits you practice on a daily basis can set you up to prevent gum infection. By making sure to brush and floss each day, you periodically remove bacterial pockets that can infect your gums. This removes the debris from your meals that plaque feed upon. When you floss between each tooth down to the gumline, you also remove deposits that your brush cannot remove on its own. We also suggest selecting a fluoride toothpaste to strengthen your enamel and prevent tooth decay from infecting your gingival tissues.
A Periodontal Deep Cleaning
If we detect a current infection in your gums, we will suggest a periodontal deep cleaning to remove bacteria both above and below your gumline. This treatment goes beyond the capabilities of a routine checkup to clean the roots of your teeth and allow your gum tissues to heal and reattach. If your disease has not yet reached the bone, this procedure could fully reverse the disease. Otherwise, regular periodontal therapy becomes necessary to help you retain healthy enough gums to prevent dental loss.
SPEAK WITH YOUR ROCHESTER, MN DENTIST ABOUT IMPROVING GUM HEALTH
We love to see our patients take their gum health seriously. If you would like to learn more about the services we offer or book an appointment at our location, call Greenview Cosmetic And Family Dentistry in Rochester, MN at (507) 281-3659.
