Don’t Miss The Warning Signs Of Gum Disease

We offer periodontic treatment to help prevent or manage gum disease, so you avoid issues that could threaten smile stability. But when should you see us for treatment? What warning signs should you be aware of? In today’s blog, your Encinitas/San Diego, CA, periodontist talks about the warning signs of periodontal disease.

The Causes of Periodontal Disease

What causes a serious oral health concern like periodontal disease to develop? This could be caused by factors that irritate and inflame the gums. The inflammation, known as gingivitis, will grow in severity until the gums pull back from the teeth and form pockets at the gum line for disease-causing bacteria to enter, leading to periodontal disease. Your inflammation could be due to plaque buildup, itself caused by factors like a diet high in sugar and poor brushing and flossing habits. Lack of professional cleanings every six months could be a factor, as could tobacco use, inflammatory illness, the due of certain medications, or even a family history of periodontal issues.

The Warning Signs of Trouble

How do you know when your gums are in trouble and in need of treatment? People with periodontal disease could encounter warning signs like soreness in the gums, or redness. There could be sensitivity and pain, or even bleeding when you brush and floss. As the issue grows in severity, you could encounter swelling too. For others, recession could develop that makes teeth appear longer and uneven, and also increases the risk of complications like tooth decay and infection. Don’t ignore any changes to your gums, let us know about any sensitivity or bleeding so we conduct an exam and see if you need treatment!

What to Do Next

Once we conduct a diagnosis and assess the threat to your smile, we can create a treatment plan to address it and manage the disease, keeping your smile healthy and whole. We may use a deep cleaning for the early stages to remove harmful buildup from the teeth and roots, and from beneath the gum line. For more severe cases, we could employ dental lasers to remove harmful buildup and diseased tissues, reshaping the gum line and destroying pockets of harmful bacteria instantly. This provides care with comfort and precision. We could then manage it with traditional cleanings every three to four months, or even holistic options like Ozone Therapy or certain antimicrobial medications.

If you have any questions about how we treat and manage gum disease, to keep your smile whole, then contact our office today.

Schedule Your Appointment and Start Your Treatment

We want to help you smile with confidence and avoid the risk of periodontal disease complications. To learn more about the common signs of trouble, call Dr. Ann Kania in Encinitas, CA, today at 760-642-0711.