Gum & Periodontal Disease Treatment in Lakewood, CO
Achieve Healthy Gums with Our Dental Services
The gums are the foundation of your smile, providing support for your teeth and protecting the tooth roots. However, despite the importance of gum health, many adults neglect proper flossing and checkups. Those who don’t take care of their gums run the risk of gum and periodontal disease. Lakewood, CO residents can trust our Lakewood dentists to protect their gums. About 75 percent of adults suffer from gum disease, which can cause severe problems with your smile if left untreated. Colorado Advanced Dentistry offers sophisticated treatment options for gum disease, like laser gum treatment, to help you painlessly maintain a healthy smile in Lakewood.
How Gum Disease Turns into Periodontal Disease
Gum disease begins as gingivitis, which is characterized by mild inflammation of the gum tissue. It may result in some redness, swelling, and bleeding while brushing or flossing. It is a treatable and reversible condition. As gingivitis progresses into more advanced stages of periodontal disease, the infection of the gum tissue spreads, causing the gums to recede and expose parts of the tooth roots. There are many possible causes of gum disease. Preventing it is easy, though. A few simple preventative measures can keep your gums healthy for the long haul:
- Brush your teeth: Brush your teeth for at least two to three minutes twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste, making sure to brush along the gumline. We also recommend brushing after meals.
- Floss every day: Flossing might not be pleasant, but it’s one of your biggest weapons against gum disease. It removes plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach.
- Use mouthwash: Never substitute mouthwash for brushing and flossing. Instead, use it along with those two tried-and-true methods. Mouthwash wash can reduce plaque by up to 20 percent.
- Eat healthy foods: Sugary foods and drinks, as well as other unhealthy foods, contribute to gum disease. Be sure to consume a balanced and nutritious diet, focusing on vitamins A and C.
- Don’t use tobacco: Smoking cigarettes and chewing tobacco aren’t merely bad for your heart, throat, mouth, and lungs. It can wreak havoc on your gums. Consult with a doctor about how to quit.
- Don’t skip checkups: You need to visit the dentist every six months. These visits let our dentists catch issues with your gums before they grow out of control.
The Potential Ramifications of Periodontal Disease
Your gums are far too important to be thrown by the wayside or neglected. Unfortunately, many individuals practice poor or incomplete oral hygiene and fail to address their gums. It can be easy to fixate on the teeth while ignoring the gums, which hold them in place and keep them strong. If you do not act to prevent or treat gum disease, it can threaten your teeth, since gum recession will limit the supportive structure of healthy teeth. Periodontal disease not only causes tooth loss, but it also causes other, less well-known problems. Gum disease can also affect your whole-body health:
- Diabetes: There is no proven link establishing gum disease as a cause for diabetes. However, diabetes can put individuals at a higher risk for periodontal disease because of elevated blood sugar levels. One of the byproducts of blood sugar is dry mouth, which can cause problems when there isn’t enough saliva to prevent bacteria and plaque buildup. Managing your blood sugar should help prevent gum disease.
- Heart disease: Recent scientific studies have established a potential link between gum disease and heart problems. For instance, a National Institutes of Health study suggested advanced periodontal disease increases an individual’s chance of heart disease by around 20 percent, but cautioned the issue needs further research.
- Pregnancy issues: The hormones produced during pregnancy can leave women vulnerable to plaque buildup. It’s common for pregnant women to experience swollen or sore gums. If you are planning to get pregnant or already expecting, see us. We can help devise a plan to protect your gums.
- Respiratory illness: The bacteria and germs that cause gum diseases aren’t confined to your mouth. They can travel through your bloodstream to elsewhere in your body. That includes your lungs, which can cause an increased risk of respiratory illnesses. Those who have asthma or allergies might experience worsened symptoms.
- Alzheimer’s and dementia: To be clear, neither gingivitis or periodontal disease causes Alzheimer’s Disease nor dementia, as far as we know. However, there is an established brain-mouth connection, making oral hygiene practices especially important in individuals who have memory loss conditions.
Contact Us to Schedule an Appointment
Traditionally, treatment for gum disease and gum recession is an extensive process involving grafting surgeries with long recovery times and significant patient discomfort. Colorado Advanced Dentistry offers modern alternatives to gum grafting techniques so that you can get the care you need without fear of a painful procedure. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with our dental staff.