Gum (or periodontal) disease is a common oral health issue that affects the tissue surrounding the teeth. If left untreated, gum disease can pose a serious threat to your oral and even overall health. Fortunately, there are a variety of preventive and corrective measures that you and your dentist can take to minimize the risks of gum disease.
What Causes Gum Disease?
Gum disease is typically the result of inconsistent or neglectful oral hygiene practices and irregular dental exams. These can combine to allow bacterial buildup on the surfaces of a person’s teeth and gums, which, if left untreated, can develop into plaque (a sticky film of bacteria, food particles) and tartar.
Mild cases of gum disease usually result from untreated plaque buildup. When plaque is left untreated for too long, it hardens into tartar, which cannot be treated via at-home oral care solutions and requires professional intervention.
Common Symptoms of Gum Disease
Early gum disease (gingivitis) is reasonably mild, generally resulting in chronic bad breath and moderate tenderness and swelling of the gums. As gum disease becomes more advanced (periodontitis) and poses a greater risk to long-term dental and overall health, its symptoms become more severe:
- Pain when biting and chewing
- Bleeding from the gums
- Receding gums, which can expose teeth roots to bacteria and lead to loosening or tooth loss
- Dental abscesses, or small pockets of pus between the teeth and gums; untreated abscesses can result in tooth loss and infections in the jawbone and other parts of the body
How To Treat Gum Disease
In these early stages, gum disease can be reversed with an improved commitment to oral hygiene. More severe cases, however, call for more intensive measures. Treatment options for serious cases of gum disease include:
- Deep cleaning to remove plaque and tartar, or 'scaling and root planing'
- Oral or topical antibiotics to eliminate bacteria and reduce inflammation in the gums
- Minimally-invasive laser therapy to remove infected gum tissue
- Surgery to remove damaged tissue (necessary only in the most severe cases)
As always, any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
Gum Disease Treatment in Mount Waverley, Victoria
If you’re in Mount Waverley and would like to learn more about how you can prevent gum disease and the treatment options available if you develop it, contact Dr Austin Rhee, Dr William Huynh and the team at Mount Waverley Smiles to arrange a consultation!
