Periodontal Treatment
Do you see blood in the sink when you floss and brush your teeth? Do your gums feel sensitive or inflamed? You may have periodontal (gum) disease. Periodontal disease is caused by a number of factors including lack of professional dental care, poor home care, use of certain medications, and even hormones.
What Is Periodontal Disease?
Periodontal disease is an active infection in your gums. It is extremely treatable and can be reversible in its early stages, but when left untreated, it may cause serious health problems.
Scientific research has found links between gum disease and other systemic illnesses such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and even cancer. Often periodontal disease may go undetected unless you know some of the most common symptoms:
- Bleeding gums
- Tenderness when you brush and floss
- Inflamed or red gums
- Gum recession
- Sensitivity
- Bad breath
How Is Periodontal Disease Treated?
The best way to avoid periodontal disease is by practicing excellent home care and having regular visits at our Denver dental office. With regular exams and professional dental cleanings, you can often avoid periodontal disease.
Treatment of periodontal disease varies based on the severity of your infection. At Dr. Beth Kreider’s office, we will perform a full exam and make recommendations to support your health and wellness. Most often, treatment involves a deep dental cleaning. More extensive dental cleanings are designed to gently and thoroughly sterilize your teeth and gums above and below the gum line. You may require more frequent dental cleanings until your infection is gone completely.
We may also place oral medication at certain sites within your mouth to assist in healing or we may recommend a special rinse to help keep your infection under control. Once you have experienced a gum infection, you can be more susceptible to a recurrence. Regular dental exams will assist in keeping you healthy.
Periodontal Disease and Pregnancy
If you are pregnant, you may notice that you get a gum infection even though you have never had one in the past. Hormone levels affect your overall health, including the health of your gums and can cause pregnancy gingivitis (gum disease). If you experience symptoms of periodontal disease and you are pregnant, it is especially important to seek treatment since gum disease can affect the health of your baby. Periodontal disease has been linked to low birth weight babies.
What Happens if I Do Not Have Treatment?
We do not have a crystal ball to predict the future, but our experience tells us if you choose not to treat periodontal disease, you may face a more severe infection, decay, and even tooth loss. In addition, people with active gum infections are at a greater risk for heart attacks and strokes.
Call Now for a Periodontal Evaluation
If you have questions or suspect that you may have periodontal disease, call our office for an exam with Dr. Kreider. We are committed to restoring your heath and comfort. Our friendly team looks forward to welcoming you to our dental office and providing you with the excellent dental care you deserve.
