Can my dentist in Welling cure bleeding gums
Updated: Apr 4
Bleeding gums can be a really worrying thing - we’ve all seen the adverts where people’s gums start to bleed and the next moment their teeth have fallen out. Sure, this can happen… eventually but is very, very far down the line and is rare. There are many stages of gum disease a person goes through before that point - so firstly don’t panic. Also know that the old wives tale that gum disease is incurable is not true - working with your dentist in Welling will mean you can come up with a plan to tackle your swollen gums and prevent further infection.
Why does gum disease happen?
Firstly, early stage gum disease known as gingivitis happens when food and bacteria aren’t cleared away from the gums - the body sends a message to protect that area because something is wrong which is why they redden and bleed. If this isn’t sorted out it progresses into something more complex called periodontitis, gum and bone that hold the teeth in place actually start to get weak. Bacteria that is on the teeth releases toxins that cause your gums to get infected - and the body is now having to work even harder to fight these off, sending more serious messages to kill the germs but in the process of doing this it’s also attacking gum and jaw bone. As you progress through the stages you will then see bone loss and gum recession and eventually tooth loss.
What are the four stages of gum disease?
As already discussed the first stage is gingivitis - at this first stage the bone has not been affected and for the most part your symptoms should be relatively painless. You could be experiencing some bleeding when brushing or flossing and a slight swelling or redding to the gums.
Slight periodontal disease is the second phase - this means the infection has spread to the bone and is now destroying bone. You will begin to notice bad breath, more bleeding and perhaps some probing depths.
Moderate periodontal disease you will by now start to notice serious depths in the gums around 6 to 7ml. You will now have an infection going into the immune system and blood stream. You will likely need to go for root canal surgery.
Advanced periodontal disease is the fourth and final phase. By this point you are anywhere between 50-90% chance of losing bone. You could be oozing pus from the gums, you could have difficulty chewing. You will have to undergo periodontal surgery which is essentially a super deep clean into the gums. If left untreated this could lead to multiple tooth loss and have even further implications to your overall health and well being.
What can my dentist in Welling do to help?
Firstly you need to come and visit us at the practice - we understand that it can feel embarrassing when you think you’ve caused yourself to have a problem through poor hygiene but it’s very common and some areas are just hard to get to. Your dentist in Welling will assess your stage of disease and put together a custom plan to help fix your gums. If you are in the early phases the plan will likely include a clean at the surgery by the hygienist and then working together to find an effective oral hygiene routine.