One of the most harmful and rarely talked about threats to your oral health is periodontal disease. Many patients are hyper-aware of signs and symptoms of dental cavities, but they aren’t as diligent about dealing with gum tissue infections. That is why our Santa Monica dentists are here to give you more information about gum disease—how it manifests, how to recognize it, and what it does to your smile.
The same harmful oral bacteria that cause dental cavities can also infection vulnerable oral tissues. When your gums first become infected you may not notice many changes to your oral health. Over time, however, your gums may start to look red and swollen, and they may often bleed when you clean your smile.
As gum disease continues to progress, you will likely battle hard-to-treat bad breath. Bad breath occurs because as oral bacteria feed and grow, they emit unpleasant odors. At this point your gum tissue might start to pull away from your teeth creating “periodontal pockets.” When you notice these issues, it is crucial to seek effective treatment so that your gum tissue can begin to heal.
If periodontal disease is left untreated, it can destabilize your entire smile. Infections that begin in a patient’s gum tissue can quickly spread to teeth, the connective tissues that hold teeth in place, and even bone tissue. As periodontal disease advances, your teeth may feel loose and shift along your gum line—this is an unmistakable sign that the gum infections has spread to the underlying structure of your smile.
The best thing that you can do for your smile is to seek prompt treatment for gum tissue infections as soon as you notice signs and symptoms of this disorder. As is true with most things in life, it is easiest and least expensive to treat gum disease when it first develops.
If you think that you’re dealing with infected oral tissues, please feel free to contact our Santa Monica gum disease dentist. We can help you get your smile back on track!