You need your dentist’s help to successfully address any concern that develops with your oral health. Yet, not everyone realizes when they have gingivitis, and by the time they visit their dentist, it may have already become more severe in the meantime. Today, we take a closer look at what it means to have gingivitis and how your dentist can help you diagnose and treat it before it leads to more complications for your oral health.
What is gingivitis?
Gingivitis develops in a similar manner for most people. It begins as an infection in your gum tissues that results from an excessive buildup of oral bacteria (dental plaque) along your gum line. This can irritate the gums and cause them to pull away from your teeth enough for bacteria to move underneath the tissues, forming plaque on the surfaces of your teeth’s roots. As the infection progresses, gingivitis becomes more prominent and will progress into more severe forms of gum disease if it isn’t treated promptly. This may involve scaling and root planing, or periodontal cleaning, in order to remove the bacteria and bring the infection under control.
Scaling and root planing to treat it
When plaque develops on the surfaces of your teeth’s crowns, where it’s visible, brushing and flossing it away can help you mitigate its development. When it calcifies into tartar, your dentist or dental hygienist can remove it with professional dental cleaning. However, good hygiene and dental cleaning won’t be enough to remove bacteria that have accumulated under your gums. To accomplish this, your dentist might recommend scaling and root planing, which is a deeper form of dental cleaning designed to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth roots. This can be a more complex process and can take several visits to complete, as it involves carefully accessing your teeth roots and cleaning them before sealing them back underneath your gum tissues.
Signs that you need gingivitis treatment
One of the reasons why gingivitis is often allowed to become more severe is because people don’t always recognize the signs of it in its earliest stages. When your gums first become infected by oral bacteria, they may become slightly red and irritated in certain areas. Yet, it may not be significant enough to be obvious unless you pay attention to your gums each time you brush and floss your teeth. If your gums seem inflamed, agitated, recessed from your teeth, or show other signs of being infected, then it may be a warning that you should speak to your dentist as soon as possible about gingivitis treatment.
Learn how to save your smile from gingivitis
When you have gingivitis, it’s important to seek your dentist’s help in treating it as soon as possible, before it progresses into more serious gum disease. To learn more, schedule your appointment by calling Healthy Smiles in Gary, IN, today at 219-938-2637.