Have you noticed your gums moving away from your tooth roots? This shrinkage, called gum recession, allows bacteria and food debris to accumulate on the roots and gums and bacteria to form disease-causing plaque.
That’s how gum disease starts. Also called periodontal disease, it leads to pain, infection, and tooth loss; however, the good news is that it’s preventable and treatable.
At Hometown Family Dental Centers, with locations in Fayetteville, Raeford, and Vass, North Carolina, we specialize in treating gum disease and restoring your mouth to a healthy state. We can help you stop — and even prevent — gum disease before it becomes a painful problem.
You’ve heard it before — brush twice and floss once daily, and get twice-yearly professional cleanings. If you skip the routine, you set your mouth up for serious problems.
So does brushing too aggressively or using a hard-bristled instead of a soft-bristled toothbrush.
There are many types of bacteria in your mouth, some beneficial and some harmful. When you fail to brush and floss properly, the harmful bacteria have a field day. They feast on the sugars in food debris and cause the build-up of a sticky plaque that can harden into tartar (calculus), which can attack the gums as well as the teeth.
Gingivitis is the first sign of gum disease. It starts when the plaque irritates the gum tissue, causing the gums to become inflamed, dusky instead of pink, and painful to the touch. You may notice light bleeding when you brush your teeth.
It’s important to come into Hometown Family Dental Centers if you notice these symptoms, as we can prevent the problem from progressing further and causing more damage (a condition called periodontitis), up to and including tooth loss.
The California Dental Association (CDA) estimates that three out of every four adults have developed some form of periodontal disease, which includes shrinking gums.
Over time, the stuck-on plaque from gingivitis burrows under the gum line and hardens, causing the tissue to shrink back from the teeth. In advanced cases, pockets form between the teeth and gums, creating a breeding ground for even more bacteria to set up shop and plaque and tartar to form.
We use a probe to measure gum pockets. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research indicates that normal pocket sizes range between 1 and 3 millimeters; anything larger is a solid sign of gum disease.
Our dentists may treat the periodontitis themselves, or they may refer you to a periodontist.
Symptoms of periodontitis and gum recession include:
If you still don’t address the problem, the loose teeth may become infected and unmoored, leading to tooth loss. That creates several other problems, from difficulty eating to badly misaligned bites.
At Hometown Family Dental Centers, we start treatment for gingivitis and gum shrinkage by performing a deep cleaning procedure known as scaling and root planing. You can’t do this at home; only a dentist can do it.
Scaling involves scraping the teeth and below the gum line to remove all traces of plaque and tartar. Root planing involves smoothing the tooth root surface so that bacteria have a harder time attaching themselves.
We may also use medications to treat the underlying problem. Some possibilities include topical or oral antibiotic gels to combat infection, antimicrobial mouthwash (over-the-counter is fine), or enzyme suppressants.
Advanced cases of receding gums will likely require surgery to prevent further damage. An oral surgeon may perform flap surgery to gain access to the entire tooth root and ensure no problem remains.
The best thing you can do to keep your gums healthy is to brush, floss, and get twice-yearly check-ups. That way, we can catch problems before they become serious, when they’re more easily treated.
If you’re experiencing any early signs of gum disease or gum shrinkage, call Hometown Family Dental Centers to schedule an appointment today.
