For many people, periodontal disease is a silent and surreptitious dental health threat. Because gum disease often progresses asymptomatically in its earliest stages, it can take months or years for sufferers to realize that they are battling a chronic oral infection.
Unfortunately, during this time, periodontal disease weakens and undermines the integrity of your smile. Left untreated, periodontal disease can cause gum tissue recession, tooth loss, and even bone tissue deterioration.
Our Santa Monica gum disease dentists encourage all of our patients to reach out for help if they notice any common symptoms of gum disease: persistent bad breath, periodontal pockets (spots where your gum tissue pulls away from your teeth), loose/shifting teeth. The earlier that gum disease is identified and treated, the better the patient’s long-term oral health prognosis.
If you are suffering from periodontal disease, our dental team may recommend various treatment and management strategies:
- It may be helpful for you to use a specific dental tool, like a Waterpik, to clean along your gum line.
- Specially formulated mouth rinses can further help to neutralize harmful bacteria and encourage your gum tissue to heal.
- Professional, in-office, periodontal treatment is designed to remove infected gum tissue, and treat existing cavities. Then, we clean your smile so as to create an optimal environment for your gum tissue to heal and regenerate. The goal is to set you up with an at-home oral hygiene routine that minimizes your risk of suffering from further infection.
As periodontal disease progresses it becomes more difficult to treat, and it creates more traumatic and expensive oral health problems. Taking control of your smile now can help you avoid unnecessary dental issues down the road.
If you want to learn more about how periodontal disease develops, as well as how our team can treat it, please contact our Santa Monica dentists to schedule a consultation. We look forward to speaking with you!