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All is not lost if you have gum disease. The infection can be tricky, usually starting out with little to no pain or irritation. You might not even know you have the milder form of the disease, called gingivitis. Without gum treatment, it can develop into the more severe form, periodontitis. Fortunately, treatment for gum disease is available! The goals of gum disease treatment are to control infection, prevent tooth loss and keep the disease from damaging tissues.
If you've got gum disease, your dentist may provide gum treatment or you may be referred to a periodontist, a dentist who specializes in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of periodontal disease. Treatment for gum disease depends on how far the condition has progressed and how well your body responds to therapy.
Treatment for Gum Disease
If you notice you have any of the signs of gum disease, including red, puffy or bleeding gums, receding gums or bad breath, talk to a dentist about the best gum disease treatment for you. Here are some of the ways dentists may treat the disease:
Non-Surgical Step -- Bleeding gums treatment or receding gums treatment starts with a deep cleaning. This type of gum treatment involves a process called scaling and root planing, where dental plaque and dental tartar deposits on tooth and root surfaces are removed. This gum disease treatment helps gum tissues to heal and gum pockets to shrink, with the help of medications prescribed by your dentist.
Periodontal Surgery -- This gum treatment option is used when the tissue around your teeth is unhealthy and cannot be repaired with non-surgical bleeding gums treatment. The specific procedure your dentist performs depends on your case. With surgery, dentists can access areas under the gum and along the roots where plaque and tartar have accumulated and are hard to reach.
Bone Surgery or Bone Grafts -- When the disease has destroyed part of the bone too, receding gums treatment may require dentists to rebuild and reshape the bone with a bone grafting procedure.
Gingival Grafting -- Bleeding gums treatment may require tissue grafting, which simply means healthy tissues from another part of the mouth are stitched in place to help anchor the teeth. This gum disease treatment is done when the existing gums are too diseased to sew back together.
The Best Gum Treatment? Prevention.
Gum disease is usually preventable. Just take care of your teeth! Proper oral hygiene is a good start: Brush regularly with a fluoride-containing toothpaste, floss every day and visit your dentist regularly.
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