Usually, brushing, flossing, and regular visits to the dentist are enough to prevent major dental concerns such as gum disease. Yet, due to factors such as genetics, diet, general health, and poor habits, it is still possible for those with good oral hygiene to develop periodontal disease. Periodontal disease can do major damage to the health of your teeth, gums, and jaw bone if it isn’t treated right away. This is why, at Kingsway Dental Centre, we do our best to educate our patients on the early symptoms of gum disease and insist they get immediate dental attention if they experience them.
When is Periodontal Treatment Necessary?
- Receding gums – The first signs of gum disease are often bleeding, inflamed, and swollen gums. If it isn’t treated and develops into periodontal disease, the gums will start to recede and pull away from your teeth. Eventually, this can lead to teeth becoming loose and falling out. Even with periodontal treatment, your gums won’t grow back and may require grafts to repair.
- Bone loss – Along with receding gums, periodontal disease will also cause the bone to degenerate as well, allowing the root of the tooth to become loose. If there is too much bone loss, it is possible to lose your teeth. Without periodontal treatment, the bone loss will continue and like receding gums, cannot be repaired without surgery.
- Halitosis – In most cases, periodontal disease is caused by poor oral hygiene. When food particles and bacteria are not removed with regular brushing and flossing it can lead to halitosis, also known as chronic bad breath. If the bad breath doesn’t go away after a week or two of daily brushing and flossing, it is a good sign that you have periodontal disease and need treatment.
Treating Periodontal Disease
There are many ways to treat periodontal disease, from the use of dental tools to scrape away the infected gum to a soft tissue laser that promotes the reattachment of the gum to your teeth. At Kingsway Dental Centre we use the less invasive and painless laser procedure to remove the thin layer of infected gum. If you live in the Edmonton, AB area and would like to know more about periodontal disease and its treatment, please contact us today!