Gum disease is one of the most common issues for American adults in the United States. While treatable, this condition can lead to serious complications with symptoms like bleeding and inflamed gums. Boise Family Dental Care is a premium dental office in Boise, committed to giving our patients the best of themselves to get their smile back to its best.
What Is Gum Disease?
Gum disease is an infection that affects the soft tissue around your teeth. Periodontitis can range from a minor condition to something more serious that affects your entire body. Gum disease is a relatively common occurrence for many people, typically due to poor dental hygiene that leads to plaque buildup. With tartar and plaque present, bacteria will slip below the gum line to erode tissues and damage surrounding bone and teeth.
Who Might Need Gum Disease Treatment?
Treatment for gum disease consists of various strategies to restore your gums to full health. For many people, brushing, flossing and using mouthwash regularly can protect your gums from infections or diseases. However, the longer it’s left untreated, the more advanced your treatment will become. Antibiotics, scaling and surgery are potential treatment methods to remedy your gum disease.
The type of treatment you’ll need depends on your gum disease’s severity and your current oral and overall health. If you’re wondering whether you need dental treatment for periodontitis, keep an eye out for the following symptoms:
- Swollen and tender gums
- Gums that bleed easily
- Pain when chewing
- Bleeding when brushing or flossing
- Receding gum lines
- Incurable bad breath
- Tooth loss
Why Choose Boise Family Dental Care for Gum Disease Treatment in Boise?
Dealing with gum disease can be an intimidating endeavor without the right team by your side. At Boise Family Dental Care, we’re proud to provide our patients with attentive dental services that restore their mouths to full health. We strive to make visiting the dentist a positive experience by addressing your specific needs and creating a comfortable and welcoming environment.
Boise Family Dental Care has been helping patients throughout the region for decades. Our experienced dentists have the training and skills to offer a comprehensive supply of gum disease treatments. We’ll supply a detailed consultation and examination to design your tailored treatment plan.
Schedule Your Appointment at Boise Family Dental Care Today
If you think you need treatment for gum disease, our professionals at Boise Family Dental Care can help. We treat all our patients with the respect, kindness and dedication they deserve, ensuring they feel comfortable and heard. Call us at 208-376-7413 or schedule your appointment online and discover why 98% of our patients recommend us!
You’ve Got Questions, We’ve Got Answers!
A: In it’s simplest terms, gum disease is an infection in your mouth. It can range from a minor infection, on the scale of a canker sore, to a severe infection that affects your whole body. The technical term for gum disease is periodontal disease, though some people call it pyria, but since this isn’t a text book we’ll just call it gum disease here.
A: Gum disease in it’s early stages is a silent disease. In fact, you may not even know you have gum disease until your dental hygienist mentions it during a routine cleaning. If left unchecked the infection will continue to worsen and become symptomatic.
Common symptoms are:
- Redness
- Swelling
- Blood on your toothbrush after brushing your teeth (psst…that’s not o.k.)
- Bad Breath – Yikes! This isn’t the kind of bad breath a mint, quick rinse with mouth wash, or regular brushing will clear up. We’re sorry to say the smell is coming from the infection that’s lurking beneath your gum line.
- Tooth sensitivity – The newly exposed areas of the tooth can be quite sensitive.
A: It’s all bad news, sorry.
- Gum recession – As the infection progresses the gums pull away from the tooth and start to recede. Once the gum recedes it will never reattach on it’s own, even after the infection is cleared up.
- Bone Loss – Chronic gum disease eventually affects the jaw or cranial bone it covers and causes the bone to break down. In some cases the dentist can do a bone graft to help build up and replace lost bone, but bone grafts aren’t always successful or sometimes only have marginal improvement so it’s best not to let the gum disease get that far.
- Tooth Loss – Without the support of healthy gums and bone the teeth eventually become loose and fall out. To make matters worse, tooth loss due to gum disease will mean you’re probably not a good candidate for a dental implant (because there won’t be good, strong, healthy bone to anchor the implant into).
- Increased risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attack, and stroke. Research shows a connection between periodontal disease (gum disease) and cardiovascular disease. You’re welcome to read a tidy summary of current findings on WebMD.
- Additionally, diabetics are especially susceptible to complications of gum disease, and studies have shown that management of gum disease in diabetics can improve patient blood sugars.
That’s all pretty awful stuff. We’d really rather you never have to go down that road, or if you have, give us a call and let our gentle and friendly dental hygienists and dentists get you on the road to oral health. Did we mention our hygienists are gentle? You’re gonna love them, we promise!
A: Yes, there are a few other things that could be causing you gum trouble.
- Trauma caused by brushing your teeth too hard or cutting your gums accidentally with dental floss. (Please buy toothbrushes with the extra soft bristles and don’t scrub your teeth with a vengeance).
- Food or other particles stuck between the tooth and gum (Popcorn hulls are a common culprit)
- Hormonal changes due to menstruation or pregnancy
- Smoking and tobacco products