National Gum Care Month: Is It Possible to Reverse or Cure Periodontal Disease?

If you have visited your dentist lately, you might have experienced the dentist poking your gums in the spaces between the teeth and recording measurements after each poke. But, of course, all of that prodding is your Little Rock dentist checking for gum disease.

Dentists use a probe which is a tiny ruler for checking the depth of the pockets between your teeth. If your pockets are too deep, you might be having periodontal disease.

Before we talk about whether gum disease can be reversed, let’s take you through some basics about gum disease.

What’s Gum Disease?

Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, is a serious infection in your gums, the tissue holding your teeth in place. This disease eventually affects your jawbone if not caught and treated. It leads to bone and tooth loss and is a risk factor for lung and heart disease.

Though certain behaviors may increase the risk of developing gum disease, you can be affected by gum disease regardless of sex or age.

What Causes Gum Disease?

Gum disease occurs from a lack of dental hygiene. If you’ve been skipping your regular flossing and brushing, the bacteria in your mouth might form plaque on the teeth and harden.

Once the build-up plaque hardens, it becomes tartar which is impossible to clean on your own.

Only professional cleaning removes the tartar, which holds the gum tissues holding your teeth in place.

Also, smoking is a cause of gum disease and diabetes with other conditions, as well as some medicines that lessen the flow of saliva. In addition, some people have a genetic predisposition also to gum disease.

Stages of Gum Disease

To understand the level of treatment you may expect for gum disease, and whether or not it can be reversed, you have to know in which stage of gum disease your gums might be.

Gingivitis

This’s the earliest stage of gum disease and the only reversible stage. Since gingivitis has yet to affect the bones, it’s mostly painless and can be treated.

Bleeding of flossing and brushing, redness and swelling of the gums, and occasional bad breath are some signs of gingivitis.

If you notice the signs above, you should visit your periodontist near you for professional dental cleaning so the dentist can remove tartar from your teeth and gums. Also, your dentist will ensure you get the support you need to keep your gums healthy.

Catching gum disease at this stage helps you prevent it from getting to the later stages. In addition, it’s possible to reverse the damage and treat the symptoms at the gingivitis stage.

Slight Gum Disease

This second stage of gum disease is irreversible, but it can be managed with the help of your dentist. You’ll notice redness of the gums and swelling at this stage. You will also see some bleeding while flossing or brushing and bad breath.

Your gum disease has already begun to attack the bone at this stage, so regular dental hygiene won’t be enough to reverse the damage. Instead, you should go for gum disease therapy to get treated.

Moderate Periodontal Disease

This’s the third stage of gum disease and is irreversible. It must be treated with deep cleaning procedures known as root planning and scaling.

At this stage, bacteria attack the bone and can enter the bloodstream and immune system. Probing depths are deeper; if untreated, this stage leads to increased gum sensitivity, bleeding, bone and tooth loss, and tooth shifting.

Advanced Periodontal Disease

This’s the most advanced stage of gum disease, which can lead to more serious health problems if left untreated.

It leads to gaps between teeth, bone and tooth loss, and other overall health problems. It’s also a risk factor for lung and heart disease.

At this stage, gum disease will require laser therapy and periodontal treatment in Little Rock to clean the deep pockets between the gums.

Can Gum Disease Be Reversed?

Though gingivitis can be reversed with dental treatment and proper at-home dental hygiene, it can’t be changed once your gum disease becomes periodontal.

If you’re suffering from periodontal disease, your dentist treats it to control the infection. In addition, your dentist at Knight Dental Care will ask you to change some behaviors like you quit smoking and maintaining the right dental hygiene habits.