When it comes to performing a daily oral care routine, gum health is often overlooked. However, our gums are a vital part of our dental wellbeing. Our gums help support our teeth by keeping them firmly in place.

People often let their gum health fall by the wayside, because they don’t realize anything is wrong. The beginning stages of gum disease have mild symptoms that are easy to ignore. However, left untreated the condition can rapidly progress, spreading to the tissue and bone that supports the tooth.

When this happens, microscopic gaps appear between the tooth and gums, creating virtually inaccessible pockets where food particles and bacteria become trapped, forming an infection. As the tissue and bone begin to deteriorate, the gums will offer less support, meaning that teeth may loosen, move around in the jaw and even fall out.

There are some ways in which you can protect yourself against the development of gum disease. If you are already experiencing any of these symptoms, it is not too late to seek treatment. There is a range of periodontal therapies that may stop, and even reverse the progress of your gum disease.

One of the easiest ways to take care of your gums is by going to routine dental health appointments. During your general dental health appointments, we will detect any of the early signs of gum disease.

Also, because our mouths are warm, moist environments, they are an ideal atmosphere for bacterial overgrowth. When left unchecked, periodontal disease and bacterial overgrowth can lead to larger health problems. Gum disease is linked to an increased risk of a variety of health disorders, including heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Like any bacterial disease, gum disease causes your body to become chronically inflamed. Chronic bacterial inflammation can lead to hardened arteries, which makes it harder for blood to flow to your heart, increasing your risk for developing a heart attack or stroke.

The type of bacteria found in gum diseased mouths is the same kind of bacteria that leads to heart problems and an overabundance of toxins. Because your mouth is incredibly vascular, it’s easy for bacteria to escape from below the gum line and work its way through your bloodstream.

Gum disease can also be an indicator of diabetes. Diabetes lowers your body’s ability to fight off bacteria, which can lead to gingivitis. At the same time, gum disease can lead to diabetes, as well.

Beyond reducing your risk for developing serious illnesses, periodontal therapies can also improve your breath by removing tartar and giving you a more confident, beautiful smile.

Depending on the stage of your gum disease, there could be a number of symptoms. In the beginning stages of gum disease, you will notice your gums are more tender than usual and will often appear red and swollen. A tell-tale sign of gingivitis is gums that bleed when brushing, flossing, or eating something tough. When gingivitis progresses, it can also cause receding gum lines and bad breath.

When gingivitis progresses into more serious gum disease, periodontitis, symptoms become more severe. Periodontitis is characterized by vividly red and swollen gums, and gums that feel sensitive when touched. Oftentimes, patients with periodontitis will also have a bad taste in their mouth or really bad breath, pus between the teeth and gums, spaces between the teeth from periodontal pockets, and loose teeth that cause an uneven bite.

Advanced periodontitis is characterized by more severe symptoms, including deep periodontal pockets, loose and misaligned teeth, severely receding gums, swollen and bleeding gums, and chronic bad breath.

Due to hormonal fluctuations and a compromised immune system, pregnant women are more likely to develop periodontal disease. However, research has shown that developing the periodontal disease during pregnancy can be dangerous to the health of the mother and baby. Some of the associated risks of the condition include life-threatening pre-eclampsia, and very early/pre-term labor and delivery. Periodontal therapies will help to minimize any risks, although they may not completely prevent problems at birth.

In the early stages of gum disease, there are some non-surgical periodontal therapies that can help improve and maintain the health of your gums, while removing bacterial buildup. Depending on your unique condition, we might recommend a few different treatments.

For patients with mild gum disease regular, professional teeth cleanings at our dentistry will allow us to remove any bacterial build up under the gum line. For progressed gum disease, we will recommend a deep cleaning, known as scaling and root planing. Scaling and root planings help reduce inflammation and remove bacteria under the gum line.

In some cases, antibiotics will be prescribed to target areas under the gum line. If your gum disease is caused by misaligned teeth, we might recommend orthodontic bite adjustments. For patients experiencing gum recession from grinding their teeth, we will recommend the use of periodontal appliances such as a nightguard.

If your periodontal disease has progressed, then surgical treatment may be the only effective course of action. There are a variety of surgical treatment options that can help reverse the negative effects of periodontal disease.

Soft tissue grafts are often used to treat gum recession by grafting more gum tissue over the areas where the gums have receded.

The opposite of soft tissue grafts, crown lengthening surgery is used to provide more tooth surface by recontouring the tooth gum line. Crown lengthening is sometimes carried out as a cosmetic dental procedure in order to reduce the ‘gumminess’ of a smile.

For patients with large periodontal pockets, we might recommend pocket reduction surgery. Pocket reduction surgery reduces the space between the tooth and the gum so that debris and bacteria have less space to become trapped.