Healthy gums are essential for a healthy mouth. If your gums aren’t in optimal condition, it impacts not just them but also your teeth. Gum disease can cause your teeth to loosen and fall out in worst-case scenarios. It’s important to catch this condition as early as possible before it can become a serious problem. But can gum disease go away?
What You Need To Know About Gum Disease
Gum disease (also called periodontal disease) is an infection in the gums and bones of your mouth. There are two kinds: gingivitis and periodontitis.
Over-the-counter dental care, like mouthwash, commonly refers to gingivitis when discussing gum disease prevention. Gingivitis is the milder form of gum disease. The problems it causes are typically minor, and since it isn’t usually accompanied by pain, people often don’t realize they have it. Gingivitis manifests in swollen, inflamed, red, or purplish gums. A warning sign for gingivitis is bleeding gums when you floss or brush your teeth. Gingivitis can be reversed if you catch it early enough.
When gingivitis isn’t caught and treated, it can become a severe gum disease called periodontitis. Periodontitis causes serious problems and can cause your teeth to become loose. As periodontitis develops from gingivitis, it worsens in stages. It starts with red, swollen gums and bleeding, which are typical in gingivitis. Then, it starts presenting more noticeable and painful symptoms, such as sore gums, bad breath, pain while chewing or biting, gums that pull away from your teeth, changes in teeth spacing, and loose teeth.
While gingivitis can be caught and healed before it requires serious treatment, that’s not the case for periodontitis. Periodontitis needs additional treatment and, in the worst cases, surgery.
What Causes Gum Disease?
Plaque buildup is the most frequent cause of gingivitis. Plaque left on your teeth can harden into tartar, which, like plaque, is filled with bacteria but cannot be removed by simply brushing your teeth.
Continued inflammation of the gums can lead to periodontitis, which causes bacteria-filled pockets to develop between the gums and teeth. Left untreated, this condition can lead to tissue, bone, and teeth loss.
Several factors increase the risk of developing gum disease. These include poor dental hygiene, tobacco use, hormone changes, some medications, inadequate nutrition, genetics, and more.
Does Gum Disease Go Away?
Early treatment can make gum disease go away. A dentist can detect warning signs at your dental check-up, or if you suspect you have gingivitis, you can schedule an appointment with your dentist. Gingivitis is reversible with the correct treatment.
Treatment Options
Once you’ve been diagnosed with gum disease, your treatment options depend on the severity of the condition. For early-stage gingivitis, dentists can give deep cleanings to remove plaque. If that isn’t enough, they can do scaling and root planing. Scaling is when they use dental devices to remove plaque and tartar from the teeth and under the gumline. Root planing is when they go even deeper into your gums to scale your teeth’s roots. Typically, you’re given medicine and an oral rinse to take home after treatment to prevent infection and help with pain.
For periodontitis, treatment is more complex. If the gingivitis treatments aren’t enough, dentists may turn to surgery or other more serious methods. Surgery can fix the pockets between teeth. Another option is bone and tissue grafts, which help promote bone and tissue growth in places where they were damaged or lost.
Different people may require different treatments. It’s best to talk to your dentist if you have any questions. If you have doubts about the recommended treatment, you can always seek a second opinion.
Preventing Gum Disease
While gum disease can go away with proper treatment, it’s best to avoid it entirely. Gum disease can be prevented through good oral hygiene. This involves brushing your teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, flossing daily, and regularly visiting your dentist. Pain is rare in the early stages of gum disease, so it’s vital to see your dentist and practice good oral hygiene. Avoid tobacco, as it inflames gum tissue. A good diet with limited amounts of candies and sodas can also help.
Questions About Gum Disease?
For more information about gum disease treatment or any other dental services, Leavitt Dentistry is here to help. Our professional team is passionate about providing expert dental care to each of our patients. For any questions or to schedule an appointment, please contact us at Leavitt Dentistry today!
