Gum disease, or periodontal disease, is a condition that affects over 40% of adults over 30 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Understanding the causes of gum disease and how you can stop it prevents tooth loss and promotes oral health.
Can You Reverse Gum Disease?
Gum disease is only reversible if you catch it in its earliest stages. That’s why it is so important to identify it and treat it as soon as possible. Once the condition takes hold, it causes irreversible but manageable damage, which may involve procedures to retain or replace teeth.
What is Gum Disease?
The definition of gum disease is infection and inflammation of the gums and surrounding tissues caused by bacteria or plaque. Because the tissue involved is what supports the teeth, advanced gum disease can cause tooth loss.
Symptoms of gum disease include:
- Redness or bleeding gums when brushing or flossing your teeth
- Swelling around the gum tissue
- Bad breath
- Gum recession
- Tooth loss
Types of Gum Disease
There are different stages of gum disease, which include:
- Gingivitis: Mild redness, puffiness, and bleeding of the gums during brushing or flossing.
- Mild periodontitis: Gums pull out from the teeth, creating areas for bacteria to reside.
- Moderate periodontitis: Soft tissue and bone erosion that bacteria causes accompanied by bad breath and pain.
- Advanced periodontitis: Bone loss and eventual tooth loss from continued soft tissue and bone erosion.
Causes of Gum Disease
Gum disease is caused by plaque buildup. Oral hygiene is the best way to remove bacteria in plaque from the mouth, but some people are genetically predisposed to suffer gum disease damage based on their immune system function. Smoking or tobacco use can increase your risk of periodontitis, as can stress, heart disease, pregnancy, and menopause.
What Can You Do
When it comes to gum disease, a good defense is the best offense. That means that prevention is the best way to prevent periodontitis.
Tips for Oral Hygiene
Daily brushing and flossing are the primary methods people can use to prevent gum disease. Dentists recommend brushing twice a day for two minutes or more, and they recommend flossing once a day.
Annual dentist appointments (or in 6-month intervals) are also essential to prevent gum disease. A dental professional will clean your teeth and remove the plaque and tartar that brushing and flossing cannot reach.
Lifestyle Tips for Preventive Care
You can also engage in a healthy lifestyle to aid in the prevention of gum disease. This includes:
- Eating a healthy diet
- Brushing and flossing daily
- Avoiding or stopping tobacco use
- Regularly seeing your dentist
Regular Dental Check-ups
Seeing your dentist on a regular basis ensures that your at-home gum disease prevention methods are working, and it gives them the ability to clean your teeth, removing plaque buildup. If your dentist detects gum disease, treatments may include:
- Dental scaling or root planing
- Gum pocket reduction
- Laser-assisted pocket reduction
- Gum grafting
- Bone grafting
- Platelet-rich plasma or fibrin therapy
When is it too late to reverse gum disease? You will not find a time when it is too late to reverse gum disease, but your treatment options and outcomes will change based on the severity of the disease. Early detection delivers better results.
Schedule an Appointment with Alpha Dental Today
At Alpha Dental, we want you to know how to reverse gum disease, so you can stop it in its earliest stages and suffer no permanent bone or tissue loss. Call our office today or visit our website to schedule an appointment, and ensure you are doing everything you can to protect your teeth. Healthy gums are the foundation of a healthy smile, so schedule your appointment today.
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