Gum disease cannot be cured, and unless managed with routine care, threatens to cause adult tooth loss. However, you may be surprised to learn that such a serious oral health issues could be prevented with simple care such as proper brushing and flossing. In today’s blog, your Brighton, MA, dentists look at the steps needed to prevent or manage periodontal disease.
The Causes of Periodontal Disease
The disease begins as inflammation, which irritates the tissues and leads to soreness, redness, and eventually, bleeding when you brush and floss. The causes of inflammation, also known as gingivitis, could include poor oral hygiene, which enables plaque to accumulate and irritate the tissues. Other factors include family history of periodontal issues, the use of certain medications, or inflammatory illness. Unless treated, this issue could lead to periodontitis, the advanced stage that attacks and destroys the tissues that connect the teeth and gum, leading to adult tooth loss that only grows more severe with time.
Controlling Plaque and Gingivitis
Since plaque is the most common cause, you often protect your smile by consuming a healthier diet, which deprives harmful oral bacteria of a meal in the form of sugary and starchy particles on and between the teeth. You also help by brushing and flossing daily, which removes stray food particles from the smile. You should brush in the morning and before bed for two minutes, and floss nightly. These actions, combined with routine dental cleanings every six months, help control and remove plaque buildup. You then avoid gingivitis or reverse it, and if gum disease has formed, then we help manage the disease to prevent complications like tooth loss!
Deep Cleanings
What if you have severe buildup, and the early stages of gum disease? Then to help restore the health of your smile and allow us to better manage your smile’s health with routine care, we may prescribe a deep cleaning. Also known as a scaling and root planing, this not only removes plaque from the teeth, but the roots as well. The procedure could take between one and four visits. If you experience any of the potential warning signs discussed in today’s blog, or if you would just like to schedule a checkup and cleaning to preserve the health and beauty of your smile, then please contact our team today!
Let’s Keep Your Smile Strong and Beautiful
Our team understands that keeping smiles healthy means care both in-office and at-home! With these treatments, we help you enjoy a full and beautiful smile! To learn more about improving periodontal health, then schedule a consultation by calling Brighton Family Dental Group in Brighton, MA, today at (617) 562-5210. We proudly welcome patients from Brookline, Newton, and all surrounding communities.
