Gum Disease: Everything You Need to Know

Do you know that 47.2% of American adults aged 30 years and above have a form of gum disease? This number is quite high considering that the condition is preventable and easy to treat if detected early. What's more, the disease can lead to serious consequences, like tooth loss, if not treated.

Below are some answers to the questions you might have about the disease.

What Is Gum Disease?

Gum disease is an umbrella name for two gum conditions: gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis is a mild gum disease, while periodontitis is a severe form. The culprit behind both conditions is an increase of harmful bacteria in your mouth.

If you fail to observe proper oral hygiene, the bacteria thrive on food leftovers in your mouth, forming tartar on and between teeth. The bacteria on the teeth later spread to the gum, causing redness due to inflammation.

How Do I Know If I Have Gum Disease?

Since gum disease may not show signs in its early stages, you may live with it for a long time without knowing. Most symptoms appear when the disease progresses to the periodontitis stage.

Below are some signs that you have the disease:

• Swollen Gums
• Bad breath
• Bleeding gum when brushing
• Pus on the gum, especially on the lower area close to the teeth
• Sores in your mouth
• Loose teeth due to the damaged gum

Schedule an appointment with your dentist if you notice any of these symptoms.

How Can I Prevent Gum Disease?

As mentioned above, gum disease is preventable. Use these tips to keep your gum in good shape.

Practice Good Oral Hygiene

Since gum disease results from a high bacteria population in your mouth, you can easily prevent the disease if you keep your mouth clean. Proper oral habits, like brushing your teeth twice daily and flossing regularly, remove the food leftovers on your teeth, thus controlling the population of harmful bacteria in your mouth.

Other helpful habits include minimizing sugary foods and embracing a diet with vegetables and fruits.

Quit Smoking

Smoking exposes you to gum disease by weakening your immune system's ability to fight harmful germs in your mouth. Therefore, if you avoid smoking, your body's immunity will improve, decreasing the risk of the disease.

Keep Up With Dental Check-Ups

Regular dental checkups are unavoidable if you want to maintain good oral health, thanks to the professional's ability to identify oral health issues in their early stages. Due to the lack of symptoms in its early stages, you may not notice that you have gum disease until it's too late.

Moreover, your dentist cleans your teeth professionally on every visit, removing any tarter forming on your teeth.

Is Gum Disease Curable?

If you have already started showing signs of severe gum disease, your dentist can develop a treatment plan for you, depending on the level of gum damage. Common treatment options include:

• Deep cleaning your teeth to get rid of bacteria
• Flap surgery to remove gum pockets and tighten the gum
• Prescription-strength mouthwash to heal inflamed gums and control bad breath
• Bone and gum tissue grafting if you have lost some gum or bone

Early treatment can prevent most of these interventions, especially those that involve surgery.

The information above can help you avoid gum disease. If you have any of the symptoms mentioned above, visit a local dentist for early treatment. Your dentist can also use advanced treatment options if your gum disease is at advanced stages.



At Elite Smile Center, we boast a strong team of skilled and experienced dentists who have helped numerous clients maintain good oral health. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.