If you’re one of the majority of American adults suffering from gum disease, you need to seek treatment fast. Also known as periodontal therapy, it’s the only way to rid yourself of bad breath, bleeding gums, and to prevent tooth loss and a host of health issues. The team at Northeast Family Dental provides gum disease treatment in Lincoln.
Recognizing Gum Disease
Gum disease may develop due to a number of factors, the most common of which is poor dental hygiene. Its symptoms often go unnoticed in the beginning, meaning gum disease may progress without treatment until it has reached advanced stages. Recognizing the symptoms of the condition can help you receive treatment faster.
Signs you are dealing with gum disease include:
- Persistent bad breath
- Swollen, bleeding, tender gums
- Bad taste in the mouth
- Tooth sensitivity
- Loose teeth
Do not delay in seeking treatment for gum disease. The condition has been linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, certain types of cancer, and other serious health conditions. Healthy gums are crucial for your overall wellbeing.
Risk Factors of Gum Disease
Anyone can suffer from gum disease, but there are certain health and lifestyle factors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Some risk factors for gum disease are:
- Poor dental hygiene
- Tobacco use of any kind
- Age (people 35 or older)
- Pregnancy or menopause
- Medications or health conditions causing dry mouth
- Diabetes and other conditions affecting the immune system
Reduce your risk of developing gum disease by maintaining excellent dental hygiene at home, quitting tobacco use, and visiting your dentist regularly for routine preventive care.
Gum Disease Treatment in Lincoln
When you stay on top of your six month preventive appointments, your dentist is able to catch gum disease in its earliest stages, while it is easiest to treat. To check your gum health, we will measure the pockets that exist between your gums and teeth in a process known as charting. Healthy pockets are no more than 3 millimeters deep. Any deeper is a sign of trouble.
In the beginning, a gum infection can be reversed with improved at-home care and a couple of extra visits to the dentist’s office.
After the pockets around your teeth have reached a depth of 5 millimeters, you will likely require scaling and root planing. Also known as a deep cleaning, scaling and root planing is a non-surgical treatment that cleans above and below the gumline. Your dental hygienist removes plaque and bacteria buildup with special hand tools. Scaling and root planing is usually completed over several visits to the dentist, and may be combined with antibiotic therapy for full healing.
When non-surgical treatment is not enough to treat your advanced periodontal disease, your dentist may partner with a periodontist to treat your gum disease. Flap surgery, in which the gum tissue is separated from the tooth and folded back for full cleaning, combined with bone or gum grafts can restore oral health.
Seek Gum Disease Treatment Today
Schedule an appointment with Northeast Family Dental if you suspect you are dealing with gum disease in any of its stages. Left untreated, gum disease wreaks havoc on an otherwise healthy body. We welcome patients from Lincoln and all surrounding areas. Schedule your appointment today!