We “Grow” Healthy Smiles and Offer Proactive Gum Disease Treatment
Gum disease is a much more dangerous condition than most people assume. What starts as gum inflammation and swelling could quickly progress to cause irreversible damage to your gum tissues and tooth-supporting structures. So, when you spot signs of gum disease, you should not take it lightly. Instead, book an appointment with Aqua Dental for prompt treatment. Like most diseases, the earlier you seek treatment for gum disease, the easier it is to treat it.
What is gum disease?
Your mouth contains over 6 billion bacteria of over 700 species! Some promote oral health, while others trigger gum disease. When you neglect your oral hygiene, harmful bacteria quickly grow, promoting the growth of a sticky film of plaque. This plaque provides a suitable environment for bacteria, which release toxins that inflame your gums.
The early stage of gum disease is called gingivitis and is usually characterized by symptoms like:
- Bleeding while brushing and flossing your teeth
- Swollen gums
- Inflamed or red gums
- Tenderness on your gums
When you don’t treat gingivitis, plaque on your teeth hardens into tartar, also called calculus. Tartar slowly builds up beneath the gum line, becoming difficult to clean. When tartar is left to linger in your mouth, it encourages bacteria to attack tissues beneath your gum line, resulting in gum recession. Later on, the bacteria attack the tooth-supporting structures, causing tooth loss.
Gum Disease Treatment
At Aqua Dental, Dr. Chitra Pradeep and the team “grow” healthy smiles by encouraging optimal oral care at home, followed by routine dental cleanings. However, we still help patients who have fallen through their regular dental hygiene.
If we probe your gums and notice your pockets are deeper than 3mm, we start on periodontal treatment. If you have gingivitis, this can be reversed by diligent at-home oral care combined with professional cleaning. However, if your gum disease is mild, you may need a deep teeth cleaning that involves two procedures: scaling and root planing.
Deep cleanings remove plaque and tartar on your teeth and below the gum line. We also smooth out your tooth roots to discourage the growth of bacteria. Alongside a deep cleaning, Dr. Pradeep can recommend oral or topical antibiotics to keep the gum infection under control. Severe cases of gum disease (advanced periodontitis) may require laser surgery, gum, or bone grafting to rebuild your oral structures.
Tailored periodontal care for a healthy smile
Do you suspect that you have gum disease? Seek immediate treatment before things spiral out of control. Please call the Aqua Dental team in Austin, TX, at (512) 643-6571 for personalized gum disease treatment. We also offer tailor-made education to prevent the recurrence of gum disease in the future.