According to statistics, a significant percentage of American adults experience gum disease. If left untreated, gum disease can cause severe complications by damaging your oral tissues, jawbone, and teeth. However, with proper treatment and better oral health habits, gum disease can be reversed and managed. Regardless of how advanced your gum disease is, Juan M. Carrillo, DMD, provides innovative treatment for gum disease in Richmond, Virginia, including educating patients on better oral health habits. To get started, contact the office today or schedule an appointment online.

What Is Gum Disease?

While most individuals concentrate mostly on their teeth’ health, maintaining healthy oral tissues and gums is just as essential. Mild and small-scale diseases are known as gingivitis, a common disease that causes pain and swelling in the gums near your teeth. This condition is easy to prevent and treat. Over time, untreated gingivitis progresses into periodontitis, a severe gum infection that might infect the jaw bone supporting your teeth. Gum diseases are mainly caused by poor oral hygiene practices and can be prevented and treated by regular and proper flossing and brushing.

What Are the Common Symptoms of Gum Disease?

The signs of gum disease differ depending on the severity of your condition. Some of the common symptoms of gingivitis or periodontitis include;

•         Bad breath
•         Puffy or swollen gums
•         Dark red gums
•         Tender gums
•         Bleeding gums when brushing or flossing
•         Painful chewing

If you have gum disease, it can also cause your gums to recede, making your teeth look longer. This gum recession can result in both functional and cosmetic issues for your teeth.

How Is Gum Disease Treated?

There are various ways of treating gum infection or inflammation. Dr. Carrillo provides a thorough dental cleaning at his practice, including root planing and scaling, to ensure your gums are free from food particles and bacteria. The doctor uses specialized dental tools to clean the spaces between your gums and teeth and removes even the tartar and plaque beneath the gum line that is often impossible to remove via other methods.

If you have a broken or damaged crown or bridge, dental restoration can help to keep your mouth healthy and clean. If you have an infection, the doctor might also recommend antibiotics to fight the oral bacteria. This type of treatment involves inserting minor antibiotic medication beads beneath your gums. These antibiotic beads dissolve over time, progressively releasing infection-fighting antibiotics. This helps to prevent further infections and restore proper oral health.

In severe cases, you might need surgical restoration of your jawbone or gums. The surgical procedure might involve bone or soft tissue grafting to restore the tissue that has been lost to gum infection or decay. However, the essential part of the treatment is developing a good personal hygiene routine and following it daily.

To sum up, gum disease can cause severe symptoms and even affect your smile if left untreated. Dr. Carrillo provides innovative gum disease treatment in and around Richmond, VA, regardless of its advancement level. To get started, contact the office or use the online scheduling tool to book a consultation today. 

Sheri gill