Don’t Let Gum Disease Steal Your Smile! Treat it Safely and Effectively.

Your gums may signal that something is wrong if they bleed when brushing or flossing teeth. If you don’t heed the warning, the disease can spread beneath your gums and to the tooth-supporting structures, causing irreversible damage. While gum disease is severe, it can be easily stopped if you seek early intervention. So, if you spot signs of gum disease in the San Marcos, CA area, book an appointment with Shadowridge Dental Group to reclaim your healthy self.

How Gum Disease Develops

The root cause of most problems in your mouth is when plaque is left to accumulate. If you don’t take optimal care of your teeth and gums, plaque forms—a mixture of saliva, food particles, and bacteria—inflaming your gums. When plaque is left to build on, it hardens to tartar, which only a dentist can remove.

If you are watchful, the early symptoms of gum disease (gingivitis) include swollen, inflamed, and bleeding gums, especially when brushing your teeth. If you don’t seek early treatment, gum disease penetrates the tissues underneath your gum and causes more havoc, including chronic bad breath and receding gums. When the infection seeps into the tooth-supporting structures, bone atrophy sets in, and tooth loss occurs.

Treating Gum Disease

Managing gum disease is easy in the early stages. Diligently brushing and flossing teeth alongside dental cleanings are sure techniques to reverse the infection. However, you need further intervention if you have moderate to severe gum disease. Periodontal therapies for periodontitis include:

Scaling and root planing: Deep cleaning is recommended to clear the infection beneath the gum line and smooth out your tooth roots to discourage the growth of harmful bacteria. This treatment can be bundled with oral or topical antibiotic therapy to eliminate the infection.

• Periodontal surgery: For severe cases of gum disease, you need surgery to restore your dental health to its optimal best and prevent the infection from spreading to the rest of your body. Flap surgery restores your diseased gums while bone grafting rebuilds healthy bone.

The scary thing about gum disease is that it causes damage with little or no symptoms. However, routine oral exams can help pick the condition at an early stage where it’s easily treatable. Want to overcome gum disease? Please dial (760) 284-8111 to schedule an appointment with our dental team at Shadowridge Dental Group.