Gum Disease Symptoms And Treatments
Gum disease can develop due to various factors. Some of the more common causes include plaque buildup, poor oral hygiene, tobacco use, hormonal changes, medications, and genetics. If you are starting to exhibit signs and symptoms of gum disease, it's important for you to begin treatment as soon as possible. The sooner you start getting treated, the less serious the repercussions of gum disease will be. This article will discuss some signs of gum disease so you can recognize when you should go in to be seen. It will also go over some of the common types of gum disease treatments there are for gum disease, so you have a better idea of what you can expect.
Signs of gum disease
Irritated gums: One of the early signs of gum disease is irritated gums. The irritation you may experience in your gums can include redness, tenderness, and swollen tissue. Another sign of irritated gums can be gums that easily bleed, such as when you're flossing, brushing, or even eating.
Bad breath: Chronic bad breath is a common sign that someone is dealing with gum disease. You can tell that bad breath is chronic because it can't be cleaned up by brushing your teeth, gargling, or changing your diet.
Receding gums: Once gum disease begins to progress, it can cause the gums to begin pulling away from the teeth. As this happens, it can start to make someone's teeth look as if they are longer than they normally are.
Common treatments for gum disease
The treatment that someone goes through for gum disease will depend on a number of factors. Some of these include the progression of the gum disease, its severity, the root cause of the gum disease, medications they take, and additional risk factors that need to be considered.
An antibacterial mouth rinse: An antibacterial mouth rinse is usually prescribed with additional treatments to help control bacterial growth and reduce gum inflammation.
Scaling and planing: Scaling and planing are often one of the first lines of treatment when it's determined that someone has the beginning stages of gum disease. These processes will remove plaque and tartar that's below the gum line to help keep the gums attached to the teeth in a healthy manner.
Laser therapy: Laser therapy uses a laser to help remove gum tissue that's affected by gum disease. This also gets rid of bacteria and promotes the growth of healthy tissue.
Medication: Medication can be prescribed to someone who has gum disease for a number of reasons. For one thing, someone may be prescribed antibiotics to help get rid of any infection and reduce inflammation. Also, over-the-counter medication may be suggested that can help with the pain and discomfort that can come with gum disease.
Surgery: There are different types of surgery that can be done to help someone with gum disease. The type of surgery they have will depend on the type of problems the gum disease is causing them.
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