Periodontal Treatment in Brunswick, OH

The earliest signs of gum disease are easily overlooked. Your gums may be red and swollen and they will often bleed when you brush or floss. Eventually, you might notice that even a slight bump or touch can cause bleeding. You will likely have bad breath—and if you don’t notice your bad breath, you might instead experience it as an unpleasant taste in your mouth that persists throughout the day.

As gum disease progresses, your gums will begin to pull away from the roots of your teeth. This gum recession makes your teeth appear longer, but even worse, it creates space between the gums and teeth for plaque, tartar, and harmful bacteria to collect. This bacteria attacks the structures that support your teeth, including the jawbone. Without this support, your teeth start to move and may fall out. 

Gum disease is an active infection that doesn’t just compromise your oral health, but your overall health—it has been linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even preterm labor for pregnant women. It’s important to treat it as soon as possible in order to prevent irreversible damage.

In its early stages, gum disease can be treated by a professional deep cleaning called scaling and root planing. This treatment has a high success rate and can often reverse gum disease after a single appointment. A hygienist will clean plaque and tartar from below the gum line, then smooth the roots of your teeth, which helps the gums to reattach, eliminating the pockets where bacteria collects.

Yes, gum disease can be cured and reversed in its early stages with scaling and root planing, particularly when paired with good oral hygiene practices at home. When gum disease is more advanced, it can be treated, but it may have caused permanent damage to your gums and teeth, requiring restorative dental and periodontal treatments.

The visual signs of gum disease are red or purple gums, swelling, bleeding, and gum recession.

If your gums have receded due to gum disease, they will not grow back even after your gum disease has been treated. You will need gum grafts to restore the appearance of your smile.

In most cases, the answer to this is yes. Even if your teeth are loose or shifting due to gum disease, we can often stabilize them with splints and treat the active gum infection in order to save them. In the earlier stages of gum disease, treatment will typically reverse the disease before it causes your teeth to be compromised.

The most common cause of periodontal disease is poor oral hygiene habits that allow bacteria to thrive. Of course, this is not the case with every patient—certain medications and medical conditions like diabetes can increase your risk of gum disease.