Warning Signs that Helps Prevent the Need for Periodontal Treatment
Do not consider yourself isolated if you recently received information from the dentist near you that you have gum disease. Gum disease, also called periodontitis, affects nearly 50 percent of Americans over 30, mentions the CDC. When left untreated, gum disease, unfortunately, results in tooth loss.
There are currently successful treatment options for periodontitis, the advanced form of gingivitis, to ensure tooth loss doesn’t occur. This article covers the symptoms, risk factors, and different treatment techniques for periodontal treatment. We are confident we will help put your mind at ease by enabling you to decide about moving ahead and getting periodontal disease treated confidently.
Mild Gum Disease to Periodontal Disease
A prominent indicator of gum disease is inflammation which is the body’s immune system reacting to the infection. You may want to avoid dealing with inflamed gums but realizing and acting on the signs and symptoms is essential because gum disease is sneaky and progressive.
The first stage of gum disease is called gingivitis and occurs when you don’t remove bacterial plaque from your teeth. When you leave gingivitis untreated, periodontal disease is just around the corner. The bacterial plaque releases toxins to affect your gum tissue, bone, and ligaments supporting your tooth. As the infection causes the periodontal disease to spread to the bone and supporting tissues, your teeth loosen and need removal. However, periodontal disease is controllable early and doesn’t have to progress to a condition where periodontal treatment in Houston, TX, becomes necessary.
Early Gingivitis Reversal Ensures Periodontal Treatment Isn’t Necessary
Gingivitis, the earliest form of periodontal disease, is entirely preventable and even reversible if it affects you. However, periodontal disease needs complicated interventions and regular professional dental care.
You can reverse gingivitis by daily brushing and flossing, besides visiting your dentist for exams and cleanings. Your at-home oral care is pivotal in your battle against gum disease. For example, you may not be a fan of flossing, but you can use other products to floss your teeth and ensure you clean between your teeth to remove plaque leftover from brushing. You must also avoid sugary and starchy foods and drinks because they are significant contributors to tooth decay. Instead, incorporate a well-balanced diet into your everyday regimen to strengthen your body’s immune system to fight infections.
Familiar Risks of Gingivitis
Your body responds to the harmful microorganisms clinging to your teeth in the form of plaque to cause gum disease. However, other factors also enhance the severity of the condition. The factors include lifestyle habits like smoking, hormonal changes in girls and women, medications causing xerostomia, and diabetes, which compromise your ability to fight infections. In addition, the National Institute of dental craniofacial research notes genetic factors can also make you prone to severe periodontal disease.
Swollen and bleeding gums are the initial signs of gingivitis, but other symptoms also exist. Recognizing and getting treatment for the early signs of gingivitis helps prevent the condition’s progress before it affects the bone surrounding your teeth and needs treatment from the Houston periodontist. Some reversible symptoms of gingivitis you must look out for are red and swollen gums, bleeding gums when brushing and flossing, bad breath, sensitive teeth, and excessive tartar buildup. Getting treatment from your dentist to overcome gingivitis is best if you want to avoid the severe condition of periodontal disease from the Houston dental specialist.
What Happens If You Need Periodontal Treatment?
The severity of your condition will determine what kind of treatment you receive from the Houston dental specialist. Conservative and nonsurgical approaches called scaling and root planing is the initial steps in periodontal disease treatment. The specialist or a dental hygienist performs this treatment by scraping your teeth for plaque and tartar removal. They also smooth away any rough surfaces on the roots to prevent bacteria from accumulating again quickly. Multiple appointments are required for this treatment besides local anesthesia to ensure you are comfortable.
If you have severe periodontal disease, you require a pocket reduction procedure because if your gum tissues are not fitting snugly around your teeth after scaling and root planing, keeping the pockets clean near the gums becomes challenging. It requires pocket reduction or flap surgery. The dental specialist removes infectious bacteria to smooth the area of the damaged bone by folding back the gum tissue to ensure it attaches to healthy bone.
If periodontal disease has caused exposed roots because of gum recession, you require gum grafts. In addition, regenerative procedures like bone graft are recommended by dental specialists to promote bone growth in the area impacted by gum disease.
If you have periodontal disease, you must maintain the condition by frequent treatments from the Houston periodontist. However, if you act fast against gingivitis by completing a plaque removal procedure from your dentist, you prevent the need for extensive periodontal treatment costing you considerable sums of money and multiple appointments.
However, if you are in search of Periodontal Treatment in North Houston, TX, you can call or book an appointment with Lynn Alan Palmer, DDS for professional dental care treatments.