TL;DR
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Gums are crucial for oral and overall health. They support teeth and act as a barrier against bacteria.
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Ignoring gum health leads to gum disease, a condition that can cause tooth loss and is linked to other serious health issues like heart disease and stroke.
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Warning signs include bleeding, swollen gums, persistent bad breath, and loose teeth.
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Diagnosis involves a dental exam, measuring gum pockets, and sometimes X-rays to check for bone loss.
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Treatment options range from scaling and root planing (deep cleaning) to laser therapy and surgery.
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A healthy, beautiful smile depends on more than just your teeth—your gums are just as important. Our San Antonio dentists offer effective treatments for gum disease, a “silent disease” that can lead to tooth loss and affect your overall health.
Keep reading to find out how we can help you recover and maintain a healthy smile.
How Important are the Gums?
While your teeth might seem like the most crucial feature of your mouth, your gums are equally as important. The gums are the soft tissue that surrounds your teeth. Healthy tissue forms a tight seal, protecting your teeth and jawbone. Unhealthy tissue detaches from your teeth and allows bacteria to wreak havoc.
Your gums provide structural support for your teeth and keep them from shifting out of place. Gum tissue is a barrier that prevents harmful bacteria and food from reaching sensitive areas around the tooth roots. Compromised gums can lead to gum recession, tooth decay, and even tooth loss.
You can be at a higher risk for these issues if you have gum disease or poor oral hygiene.
What Happens if I Ignore My Gums?
Ignoring your gums and your oral health in general can lead to gum disease. Gum disease develops when plaque and bacteria buildup near your gum line irritates the soft tissue. It might not seem serious when it first develops, but it can quickly get worse.
Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. Advanced stages can also impact your overall health, leaving you at greater risk of developing some severe conditions. Conditions such as heart disease, stroke and respiratory illnesses have links to advanced gum disease.
Key Points
- Periodontal disease has been associated with a number of health conditions, including heart disease and diabetes;
- While a number of associations have been found between periodontitis and systemic conditions, finding direct causality remains elusive;
- Periodontal and systemic diseases share many common risk factors, including smoking and poor diet.
How Do I Know if Something is Wrong?
According to the American Dental Association, these are some warning signs that can signal a problem:
- Gums that bleed easily;
- Red, swollen, tender gums;
- Gums that have pulled away from the teeth;
- Persistent bad breath or bad taste;
- Permanent teeth that are loose or separating;
- Any change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite;
- Any change in the fit of partial dentures.
How do Dentists Diagnose Gum Issues?
To diagnose gum disease, a dentist will discuss your symptoms and check for plaque buildup, swelling, and bleeding. They will also measure the pockets around your teeth and may take X-rays to check for bone loss around the tooth roots.
What happens if the dentist diagnoses me with gum disease?
If you receive a diagnosis of gum disease, the dentist will recommend prompt treatment. In addition to diagnosing the condition, we can also determine its severity. This helps us choose the proper treatment for you. Our dentist may recommend one or a combination of the following treatments:
- Scaling and root planing
- Pocket reduction surgery (Osseous surgery)
- Gum flap surgery
- Gum tissue grafting
- Periodontal maintenance
Laser Gum Therapy
Our team has the experience and technology to provide advanced care for all stages of gum disease. Dental lasers can offer exceptional results for treating more advanced gum disease. We offer laser treatment and LANAP for patients with periodontitis.
Laser therapy for gum disease is less invasive and more targeted, allowing our dental care team to address diseased tissue while preserving healthy tissue. Dental lasers also stimulate faster recovery and the regrowth of new tissue after treatment.
Laser treatment may be completed in one visit or require a series of visits, as with LANAP, to achieve the desired goal. Using lasers has made it possible for our team to minimize the need for oral surgery and restore gum health even in the event of advanced disease and damage.
Periodontal Disease Maintenance in San Antonio, TX
At this point, you already know that regular cleanings are essential, but even with good care, gum disease can still develop. If it does, your oral care needs to change.
At Advanced Dental Associates, we provide periodontal maintenance, a specialized deep cleaning that goes beyond standard cleanings to help manage gum disease and prevent it from getting worse.
Why Can’t I Have a Regular Cleaning?
For people with healthy teeth and gums, a regular cleaning every six months is recommended. This type of cleaning focuses on the crown, or visible surface, of the tooth. In contrast, periodontal maintenance cleanings are a much deeper treatment that cleans both the crown and the root surfaces of the teeth.
These deeper cleanings remove buildup from above and below the gum line, which helps your gums reattach to your teeth. This process reduces the pocket depth between your gums and teeth, which better protects the tooth roots and jawbone.
Unlike standard cleanings, periodontal cleanings are more frequent, though the time between your appointments can increase as your gum health improves.
What if My Condition is Stable?
Even if you have your gum disease under control and your condition is stable, you may still need deep cleanings. These cleanings may be six months apart, but are still periodontal maintenance instead of standard prophylaxis.
This is because once gum disease occurs, except for gingivitis, it does not ever truly go away.
Is Periodontal Maintenance Billed Differently?
Yes, a periodontal maintenance cleaning is billed differently rather than a standard cleaning. Your insurance may have different coverage for periodontal maintenance. Where it may completely cover a routine cleaning, it may only cover a part of a periodontal maintenance cleaning.
Contact your dental insurance provider if you are unsure of your policy.
Treat Gum Disease Today
Periodontal maintenance and gum care can prevent gum disease from taking over your mouth again. We can diagnose and quickly treat your gum disease at Advanced Dental Associates.
We also provide restorative dentistry treatments to patients in our San Antonio dental office. For more information, call Advanced Dental Associates at 210-655-2753 today.