Healthy gums are as vital to a beautiful smile as healthy teeth. And if you suffering from the effects of gum disease, you are on the track to steady decline in oral health, because gum disease is a progressively degenerative disease. With proper treatment, periodontal disease can be stopped.
If you have the following issues with your smile, you may well have gum disease, and we invite you to reach out to our team:
- Bleeding gums, red, or swollen gums.
- Gums pulling away from the teeth or loose teeth.
- Persistent bad breath.
- A persistent bad taste in the mouth.
- Changes in how your teeth fit together.
So what causes gum disease to get ahold of your smile? Dental plaque, which infects gum tissue, causing gums to recede and form pockets where more plaque can collect. Plaque is that sticky film you can feel along your teeth before you brush, and is a film of bacteria which attacks teeth and gums as it steadily builds up in the mouth. At its worst, gum disease can result in losing teeth and bone material that supports the teeth.
Our Alaska Smile Center team in Kodiak, Alaska provides treatment for gum disease which may involve different approaches, depending on how far it has progressed. Treatment can include stepping up your daily oral hygiene care, increasing professional cleanings with our team, taking antibiotics to fight infection, having a form of deep cleaning called scaling and root planing, or recommending or gum surgery.
If you need help overcoming gum disease in your smile, we invite you to give us a call at 907-486-3475. Dr. Joel Wiersum will make sure that your gums get the restorative treatment they deserve!