Gum Disease Treatment St. Louis - Leads to a Happy Healthy Smile

You’ve likely heard these terms: gingivitis, periodontal disease and gum disease on television and in your dentist’s office. Still, you may not have a full understanding of what gum disease is or what it can do; how to spot it or how to treat it. In fact, do you know how to avoid it? We have found the best gum disease treatment in St. Louis is to inform our patients how to maintain healthy gums and maintain oral health for a lifetime.

Gum disease begins as gingivitis. This condition may begin with swelling and redness in the gums; perhaps a bit of bleeding from the gums when brushing or flossing teeth. At this early stage, gingivitis may be completely reversed with proper treatment and follow-up. Some of the most common causes of gingivitis include:

• Poor oral hygiene
• Poor health
• Brushing too aggressively
• Uncontrolled diabetes
• Misaligned teeth
• Hormonal changes
• Irritation caused by dental appliances

The way to reversing gingivitis begins with an exam and cleaning. In our office, we evaluate your gums to ensure that gingivitis has not progressed to periodontal disease. After a cleaning and assessment, it is important to maintain gum health with proper oral hygiene that includes brushing, flossing and rinsing to reduce the risk of bacteria and plaque buildup.

Should gingivitis progress to periodontal disease, you may experience a bad taste in your mouth, bad breath and pockets around teeth. Periodontal disease is more serious than gingivitis; possibly leading to tooth loss as well as illness.

How your dentist approaches gum disease is largely dependent on the overall condition of your gums. Scaling or root planning is usually successful in early stages. These treatments remove plaque around the teeth and root surfaces and allow gums to return to a healthy state. Severe cases of gum disease, where tooth structure is threatened, may require surgical treatment to remove hardened plaque which has built up below the gum line.

Through regular check-ups and proper oral hygiene, you can maintain your healthiest smile and avoid gum disease altogether.



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