Gum disease is a common dental condition that affects millions of people every year and a majority of individuals at some point during their lifetime. At Comprehensive Dental Health in New Haven, CT, we can help treat your symptoms of gum disease, improve your overall oral health, and even help reverse any damage in certain cases. Our compassionate, expert team will put you on the road to dental wellness and give you the support you need to feel better, fast! To get started, schedule a dental checkup by giving us a call today or go ahead and book an appointment online!
What Is Gum Disease?
Periodontitis
gingivitis
Gum disease or periodontal disease refers to a dental health condition that occurs when your gums become infected with bacteria. Extremely common, gum disease affects most people at some point during their lives, with cases typically reported in patients 30 and older. Gum disease affects your oral health over time. While symptoms may be difficult to detect at first, they can become more severe if left untreated and can eventually lead to the loss of teeth or gum tissue. The condition is even linked to problems like heart disease.
What Are the Symptoms of Gum Disease?
Symptoms of gum disease are subtle at first, which is one reason that we recommend seeing your dentist every six months or so for a cleaning and a dental exam. However, once the disease begins to progress, you may experience signs like:
- Regularly bleeding gums
- Loose teeth
- Inflammation or redness in your gum tissue
- Discomfort
- Halitosis or bad breath
- Noticeable loss of gum tissue
If left untreated, symptoms can progress to include the significant loss of additional gum tissue, the loss of teeth, and damage to the underlying jawbone. Studies also connect gum disease with non-dental health conditions such as heart disease.
Full Mouth Debridement
A full mouth debridement is a dental cleaning procedure that helps to clean out and repair gum tissue affected by gum disease. More comprehensive than a traditional teeth cleaning, a debridement involves cleaning out your gum tissue to remove bacteria and sanitize infected areas of the gums.
Periodontal Maintenance
A general term that can include procedures like a full mouth debridement or scaling and root planing, periodontal maintenance refers to regularly scheduled cleaning procedures that can help arrest the spread of gum disease and help repair damage to your mouth. We generally suggest that anyone experiencing symptoms of gum disease schedule a periodontal maintenance checkup every six months or so, although individuals suffering from more severe cases may need to come in more frequently.
Perio Pocket Reduction
Used to treat more advanced cases of gum disease, perio pocket reduction is a dental surgery performed to remove bacteria that have colonized the spaces in between your gums and your teeth. This involves the dentist gently lifting your gums away from your teeth (after getting you comfortably numb, of course!) so that they can remove any bacteria tucked away in that now exposed area.
Scaling & Root Planing
Root Canal Procedure
A routine procedure used to treat gum disease, scaling and root planing is similar to a full mouth debridement, but with an additional step. During a scaling and root planing procedure, your dentist will gently clean out any infected gum tissue, while also smoothing down the roots of your teeth and removing any bacteria that have colonized there. This helps stop the spread of gum disease and can help your gums re-attach to the roots of your teeth. We generally recommend that people experiencing symptoms of gum disease receive this procedure every six months or so.
Ready to Get Your Oral Health on Track?
Schedule an appointment today to receive a full evaluation and treatment plan! Call or book online!
