Gum disease comes in varying forms of severity and it’s only when it's left for long periods unattended that it becomes a serious problem, that being said it’s still a major issue in the dental world and one that causes more patient troubles than any other dental ailment. So why is gum disease still so prevalent even with all our knowledge on how to take care of our teeth and are there ways to cure it if you do develop it?
Why Do We Develop Gum Disease?
In the vast majority of cases gum disease develops because people aren’t cleaning their teeth correctly. It is as simple as that. Most people just don’t clean their teeth very well. Despite all the guidance that we should be brushing for at least two minutes and using special techniques for the most part it goes ignored and dismissed. This is highly unlikely to be for any malicious reasons or that people deliberately don’t want to take good care of their teeth, it’s more that it’s human nature to take a shortcut where possible and oral hygiene offers lots of opportunities for shortcuts.
What Happens When You Don’t Follow Good Oral Hygiene Practices?
Over time if you aren’t following good oral hygiene practices your teeth will begin to build up with plaque and eventually tartar. This is the solid substance that you may well see on the gum line of your teeth. It’s very common and most people develop some build-up of it but it’s important that it’s gotten rid of and not left to harden.
Gum Disease Signs and Symptoms
If best practices aren’t followed then it’s highly likely you’ll start to show signs of diseased gums, this is usually through bad breath and swelling, redness and eventually bleeding of the gums. When this happens it’s important to get booked in to see your dentist Brentwood as soon as you can, as they will need to take action in getting the disease treated.
How Gum Disease Is Treated?
If you are in the early stages of gum disease then it’s likely you’ll be treated with a quick trip to the dental hygienist. Hygienists are special dentists who take care of gums specifically and have all the tools needed to make sure gums are clean and healthy. They can perform a deep clean called scale and polish which works right down in the gum line to remove plaque and tartar buildup and makes the body reverse the infection process and return to health. The results of a scale and polish can be as effective as just one day which is amazing when you consider how slowly gum disease can take to come on.
Maintaining Healthy Gums
If after you’ve had your gums cleaned you’re still worried about cleaning your teeth properly then it’s worth getting in contact with your dentist Brentwood about your oral hygiene routine, to go over some tools in more detail. For sure we all know how important flossing is but flossing well takes well practiced technique.
