When do you need gum treatment?

Gum surgery may be necessary for anyone who is suffering from gum disease. This is a common and very serious condition. In fact, most adults will suffer from some form of gingivitis during their lifetime. The severity of the condition will determine what steps one can take to alleviate it.

Do I need gum treatment?

If untreated, gum disease could lead to bone and tooth loss. If gum disease is caught early and hasn't damaged the structures below the gum line, a professional cleaning should do. If the pockets between your gums and teeth are too deep, however, scaling and root planing may be needed.

How do you know when you need gum surgery?

People with severe or advanced disease around their gums and the tissues that support their teeth are usually candidates for periodontal surgery. If you have gum disease, your symptoms might include: gums that are swollen, red, or bleeding. deep pockets that form between your gums and teeth.

When should you go to the dentist for your gums?

See a dentist if:

your gums bleed when you brush your teeth or eat hard foods. your gums are painful and swollen. you have bad breath. your child has sore, bleeding gums.

Why do I need a gum treatment?

Gum Disease Treatments

Patients whose gingivitis has progressed into periodontal disease will often need to undergo a dental procedure called deep cleaning (also known as root scaling and planning). In this procedure, the dentist will scrape away the plaque and tartar off the teeth above and below the gum line.

How To Treat Gum Disease

What does a infected gum look like?

Your gum is swollen and filled with pus. The raised swelling may look similar to a pimple around your infected tooth. An open pimple called a draining fistula, ruptures and releases pus, which is a sure-fire sign of an infection. A bad taste in your mouth or bad breath may also be an indicator of an infection.

When does gingivitis become periodontitis?

Periodontitis occurs when gingivitis is left untreated and periodontal disease advances. When periodontitis develops, the inner layer of the gum and bone pulls away from the teeth and periodontal pockets form with harmful bacteria. Plaque spreads and grows below the gumline, which can lead to tooth and bone loss.

What are the stages of gum disease?

What does severe gum recession look like?

Signs of gum recession vary, but can include red or swollen gums, bad breath, mouth sores, and pain or bleeding when brushing or flossing.

How do you know your teeth are rotting?

Is gum surgery painful?

The actual gum grafting procedure is painless. This is because a local anesthetic is used to numb the affected area. A periodontist, who is a dental specialist in gum disease and the gums, typically performs this procedure. You may instead feel some movement or pressure as your periodontist performs the procedure.

What happens if you don't get gum surgery?

Often, nonsurgical treatment is enough to control a periodontal infection, restore oral tissues to good health, and tighten loose teeth. At that point, keeping up your oral hygiene routine at home and having regular checkups and cleanings here at the dental office will give you the best chance to remain disease-free.

How can I avoid gum surgery?

Practicing good oral hygiene means brushing your teeth at least twice a day to ensure plaque removal from your teeth and gums. It is also recommended that you floss after meals. This will keep food particles from remaining between your teeth, causing harmful bacteria to begin growing.

Do gums grow back?

While your gums won't grow back on their own, surgical treatment can be used to replace the missing tissue, and restore both your appearance and your oral health. Gum grafting involves taking soft tissue from another part of the mouth and grafting it onto your gums.

Can periodontitis be reversed?

Periodontitis can't be reversed, only slowed down, while gingivitis can be reversed. This is why it's important to catch it in its early stages and prevent it from moving on to periodontitis.

How do dentists fix gum disease?

If you have advanced periodontitis, treatment may require dental surgery, such as: Flap surgery (pocket reduction surgery). Your periodontist makes tiny incisions in your gum so that a section of gum tissue can be lifted back, exposing the roots for more effective scaling and root planing.

How much does it cost to fix receding gums?

While this can vary depending on which dentist you see, the cost of gum disease treatment can cost up to $2,000, or even more. This means that the earlier you have the condition treated, the more money you'll save. In many cases, you may need a gum tissue graft, which can cost between $1,600 and $2,000, if not more.

Can teeth fall out from gum recession?

If the gums recede too much, it may result in bone loss, which can cause teeth to loosen or fall out.

Can a dentist reverse receding gums?

Treatment for gum recession

Gum recession can't be reversed. This means receded gum tissue won't grow back. However, you can keep the problem from getting worse. Treatment usually depends on the cause of the gum problems.

What are some of the early warning signs of periodontal disease?

Is gum disease life threatening?

Studies have shown that people with poor oral hygiene and gum disease are more likely to suffer from a wide variety of conditions—some of which can be life-threatening and even fatal. It may be hard to believe, but your mouth, teeth, and gums have a direct link with your body's cardiovascular system.

How can you tell the difference between periodontitis and gingivitis?

How quickly does gum disease progress?

During the early gingivitis stages, gum inflammation can occur in as little as five days. Within two to three weeks, the signs of generalized gingivitis become more noticeable. If you still leave this untreated, it would progress to slight periodontal disease.

Which is worse gingivitis or periodontitis?

Periodontitis is a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue and may destroy the bone that supports your teeth. Periodontitis can cause tooth loss, and has even been linked to an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. When comparing the two, periodontitis is much worse than gingivitis.

How do you know if you have a bacterial infection in your mouth?