We are open - safety is our top priority!
What Is Periodontal Gum Disease?
Periodontal disease is an infection that starts with gingivitis or gum inflammation. It may advance to periodontitis or advanced periodontitis when the infection attacks the tissues and bone that support the teeth. Our skilled dentists always look for early signs of the disease so we can offer effective therapies for treating gum disease in Bloomington to prevent the disease from progressing.
How Would I Get Gingivitis?
If you don’t remove plaque with regular brushing and flossing, it will harden and turn into tartar. It’s impossible to remove tartar yourself, which is why it’s important to have a professional teeth cleaning every six months. If tartar remains on your teeth at the gum line, it will irritate your gums and cause gingivitis. Our goal to help you keep your natural teeth for as long as possible and instruct you on how to prevent gingivitis using behavioral changes.
What Are the Typical Gum Disease Symptoms?
If you notice any of the following gingivitis symptoms, please visit our office as soon as possible to begin your gingivitis treatment.
- Bright red gums
- Puffy or swollen gums
- Bleeding when you brush or floss
In addition to looking for signs of gingivitis, your dentist will discuss your risk factors with you, including genetic susceptibility, taking certain medications and having particular illnesses. One major risk factor that you can control is smoking. If you smoke, it’s harder for your body to fight an infection. Smoking is the most significant risk factor—the more you smoke, the greater your chances of tooth loss.
What are the Signs of Gum Disease That Dentists Look For?
During an exam, our dentist will check your mouth for signs of gingivitis and periodontal disease, including:
- Swollen gums
- Inflammation
- Pus where your teeth and gums meet
- Black triangles between teeth
- Gums pulling away from teeth
Your dental hygienist will also look for these signs and report their findings to your dentist before starting your teeth cleaning procedure.
What Are the Gum Disease Stages?
Gum disease has three distinct stages:
Gingivitis: If you notice that your gums are red, are not a healthy pink color, and they bleed easily, these are gingivitis symptoms. While gingivitis does not always progress to a more advanced form of gum disease, gingivitis treatment will ensure that the disease is reversed.
Periodontitis: Once gum disease progresses beyond gingivitis and turns into periodontitis, there is no gum disease cure; however, our dentist can halt the disease’s progression to advanced periodontitis. If you have periodontitis, you may notice your gums pulling away from your teeth and pockets of pus forming in the space between your teeth and gums. You may also have persistent bad breath.
Advanced Periodontitis: In the third stage of gum disease, bacteria attacks the connective tissue and bone holding your teeth, causing them to loosen and eventually fall out if you don’t seek treatment. Advanced gum disease is the main cause of tooth loss for adults age 35 and older.
Do Dentists Have a Gingivitis Cure?
Our knowledgeable dentists offer a gingivitis cure that consists of a professional teeth cleaning to remove tartar and providing oral hygiene instructions that show you how to prevent tartar from forming between teeth cleanings. Reversing gum disease is possible if you call our office for treatment as soon as you notice signs of gingivitis. There are home remedies for gingivitis, but they won’t work if the plaque on your teeth has already hardened into tartar. Only the tools used by a dentist or dental hygienist can remove it.
What is Periodontal Disease Treatment?
If you have gum disease symptoms, our dentists can provide effective treatment for gum disease in Bloomington. This may include antibiotic treatment and a deep cleaning that reaches underneath the gum line. Your dentist may refer you to a periodontist for more aggressive gum disease treatment, which may include surgery. You can avoid needing treatment for periodontitis by calling our office as soon as you notice gingivitis symptoms. Contact us for an appointment today to get started on your gingivitis cure.
Is Reversing Gum Disease Possible?
It is essential to see a dentist if you are looking for a gingivitis cure because it is the only form of gum disease that is reversible. While our dentists can halt the progression of periodontal disease, there is no cure for periodontitis and advanced periodontitis. Fortunately, both forms of gum disease are preventable with prompt gingivitis treatment, regular dental exams and teeth cleanings, and changing your oral hygiene habits to prevent its return.
Call our office right away if you suspect you may have gum disease. Our dentist will diagnose the stage and begin treatment at once.
CareCredit
CareCredit is a healthcare credit card designed for your health and wellness needs. Pay for the costs of many treatments and procedures through convenient monthly payments.
