Gum Disease and Its Prevention

How much do you know about gum disease, what causes it and how it’s best prevented? It’s time to find out about Gum Disease and Its Prevention. Gum disease prevention is something we focus on quite heavily here at Together Dental Watton as healthy gums are essential for healthy teeth.

Your gums should fit tightly around your teeth, providing support to your teeth and jawbone but gum disease is incredibly common and most people will suffer from some form of this condition at some point during their lifetime. Gum disease is also the major cause of tooth loss in the world but it is entirely preventable and once you have nice healthy gums then it’s relatively straightforward to look after and maintain them.

What Causes Gum Disease?

Gum disease is a bacterial infection and can develop if you fail to remove the bacteria that build up in your mouth, coating your teeth and gums every day. If you run your tongue over your teeth at the end of a long day you may well feel a sort of sticky layer. This is a layer of a plaque bacteria and its removal is essential as plaque can soon harden into a substance called tartar that can only be removed by your hygienist during a visit to your dentist in Watton.

The bacteria in plaque will gradually infect your gums and this can result in inflammation as your body tries to fight the infection. As a consequence, your gums will begin to look red and swollen and they could well bleed whenever you brush or floss.

You may notice your teeth look longer than before as your gums begin to recede, pulling away from your teeth which creates a deep pockets that are the ideal home for even more bacteria. Eventually the bacterial infection will reach deep into your gums, affecting the bone surrounding your teeth and causing your teeth to loosen. Without treatment it’s likely you will lose teeth.

How Do You Prevent Gum Disease?

Gum disease prevention is very straightforward. Regular check-ups with a dentist in Watton can detect the early signs of infection. Early gum disease, a condition called gingivitis can often be completely cured with a hygiene appointment to clean your teeth, combined with improved oral care at home. You will need to persevere with brushing and flossing even if your gums bleed as over time they will become firmer and stronger and will cease bleeding.

How Can Advanced Gum Disease Be Treated?

Advanced gum disease will require more extensive treatment and you may need to see a specialist dentist called a periodontist for procedures to help eliminate the bacterial infection and to treat your damaged gums. These days it’s possible to restore some lost gum tissue through gum grafts and to replace missing bone with bone grafts to help stabilise loose teeth.

While these treatments are remarkable, we’d far rather things didn’t get to that stage which is why we urge all our patients to come and see us at six monthly intervals and to book regular appointments with our hygienist. Advanced gum disease can also affect general health which is why we take it so seriously.

If you are overdue for a check-up or professional cleaning why not book an appointment with Together Dental Watton today? Give us a call on 01953 882777 to arrange a visit to our friendly dental practice.