What Are the Signs of Periodontal Disease?
Often called periodontal disease, gum disease is an infection of the tissues that keep your teeth in their ideal positions. This condition is brought on by bad dental hygiene, allowing plaque to gather and to harden. When it's left unaddressed, periodontal disease could cause serious issues for the gum and bone tissues that keep the teeth in place. This is one of the main causes of loose teeth. At Made Ya Smile, we provide noninvasive and surgical treatment solutions for individuals in Houston, TX, who are experiencing any level of periodontal disease.
Symptoms of gum disease
Gum disease may be hard to detect, which can make it difficult to know when you have it. Because of this, routine dental appointments and biannual cleanings are a crucial step in diagnosing gum disease before it advances. A handful of popularly reported indications of periodontal disease are:
- Bad breath
- Bleeding while brushing teeth
- Damaged gum tissues
- Swollen, bleeding, or tender gums
- Alignment changes
- Loose teeth
- Pus oozing from the gum tissues and teeth
- Tenderness
For those who live in Houston, TX, and think they may have gum disease, our qualified dentists can help you treat it before it worsens to more severe phases.
Stages of periodontal disease
This condition comes in three phases:
- Gingivitis: Gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease, is due to plaque buildup affecting just the gums. In this stage, the bone tissues have not been harmed so gum disease is still curable.
- Periodontitis: During this stage, any problems to the gum tissues and bone that hold your teeth in place is not curable. Pockets might also occur underneath the gumline, catching tartar and bad bacteria. Periodontal maintenance treatments along with at-home dental health habits will help minimize the chances of further damage.
- Advanced periodontitis: The last phase of gum disease occurs when the abscess has caused dangerous bacteria to accumulate. This issue requires laser procedures or possibly periodontal surgery to cleanse these pockets of bacteria beneath the gums. If left untreated, wiggling or missing teeth, weakening gum tissues, and other serious problems can occur.
To summarize, taking care of gum disease promptly is vital. At Made Ya Smile, we show our patients ideal oral health techniques that help them avoid the development of this severe dental issue.
Gum disease treatments
The treatment selected for you will be decided by the seriousness of your periodontal disease. Addressing gum disease early on works to reduce deterioration and any need for a surgical solution. The aim of any gum treatment is to restore the state of your gums. A few of the most popular gum solutions performed at our Houston, TX office consist of:
- Scaling and root planing therapy: SRP is a minimally-invasive option that eliminates tartar near the gumline, producing a smoother surface. Evening out rough spots lets our skilled team get rid of bacteria and generate a clean surface for the soft tissues to reattach effortlessly.
- Gum lift treatments: For this treatment, the gums are raised so buildup can be effectively removed. The gums are then set so the tissue rests naturally around every tooth. This will reduce the gap between the gum tissues and teeth, which deters bacteria from gathering there once more.
- Bone and gum grafting: Gum and jawbone grafts make use of sections of the patient’s native bone or donor bone to replace areas of the jaw that were affected by the progression of periodontal disease. This will let the teeth be more secure. Soft tissue grafts are performed to strengthen thin gums and to target places where periodontal deterioration has occurred.
- Dental implants: If your teeth go missing, we perform a variety of restorative dentistry solutions, including bridges and dental implants, to improve your smile.
Discover more about gum disease solutions in Houston, TX
If left untreated, periodontal disease may progress to more severe degrees. At Made Ya Smile, our staff works with individuals to help them improve their oral health. For more gum disease procedures, or to arrange an evaluation at our dental care office in Houston, TX, reach out to our team today.