Gum Disease in Mangawhai
But what happens if there’s nothing for your teeth to hold on to?
Gum disease can occur when dental plaque builds up on teeth, particularly where the gum joins the tooth. Early signs are bleeding, redness and swelling of the gum. If this isn’t treated, the gum margin, the part of the gum that seals to the tooth, is weakened and spaces form between the tooth and the gum. Bacteria then gets into these pockets, causing further inflammation, which can then attack the tooth root. As bone is lost, larger spaces begin to form between the tooth and the gum, resulting in bad breath, bad tastes in the mouth, and ultimately loose teeth.
Like any dental therapy, the sooner the condition is identified and treated, the better and longer lasting the results. Whilst careful cleaning with a soft brush, especially along the gum line, will help prevent gum disease; we recommend seeing our Hygienist every six months to remove hard calculus build up that brushing and flossing alone will not remove.
If gum disease is advanced, your dentist will refer you to a periodontist, who can help prevent the disease from developing further. A periodontist can offer non-surgical treatments to help improve the health of your gum tissue, as well as surgical treatments for more advanced conditions.
As gum disease tends to reoccur we advise good ongoing management of your oral health, with regular dental exams and professional maintenance particularly important parts of care, prevention and minimisation of gum disease.