Albertville, AL
If you notice your gums are inflamed or bleed easily when brushing your teeth, you may be in the beginning stages of gum disease. It should be taken seriously, but don’t let it cause you panic. Gum disease is quite common in American adults; in fact, most people will have it at some point in their lives, even if they don’t realize it. The good news is that in its infancy stages, gum disease can be controlled with strong oral hygiene practices at home, usually following a quick jumpstart checkup and cleaning at our Albertville family dentist office.
Today we’re taking a look at the three different stages of gum disease to help explain why it’s so important to catch the condition early.
Stage 1: Gingivitis
This stage of gum disease is reversible. It’s also preventable. Our mouths — including tooth surfaces and saliva — host normal bacteria that feed on food particles that aren’t swept away from between teeth and under the gum line if a person isn’t frequently brushing and flossing his or her teeth. The bacteria continue to feed and grow, turning into plaque and then tartar. This not only leads to tooth decay but inflammation of the gums and gingivitis, which is the most common stage of gum disease. If your gums are red, inflamed and/or bleed easily — if you notice pink mixed in with your toothpaste when you brush your teeth — or if your gums bleed a bit when you bite into hard, crunchy foods like apples, celery and carrots, you could have gingivitis.
Stage 2: Periodontitis
If gingivitis is ignored, it progresses into a more serious stage of gum disease called periodontitis. In this stage, permanent damage has occurred to your oral health, and it is not reversible but can be managed with strong oral hygiene practices at home and strictly following the treatment plan of our family dentist in Gadsden. Without strict adherence to an oral hygiene routine, bacteria on the teeth continue to feed and grow, eventually creating pockets and channels that allow the bacteria to travel further down a tooth’s surface. Gums can then start receding, paving the way for the bacteria to cover the entire surface of the tooth and reach its root pocket. A toothbrush cannot reach these pockets of bacteria, so professional dental cleanings are necessary to stop gum disease from growing worse.
Stage 3: Advanced Periodontitis
When bacteria isn’t professionally cleaned out of the pockets, it causes an infection that spreads to the jawbone, causing the bone to erode. This weakens the tooth’s roots and can lead to tooth loss; in fact, gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in American adults. At this stage of gum disease, if teeth aren’t loose or falling out, they will likely need to be extracted because the gum disease has made them irreparable. Patients at this stage of gum disease experience chronic foul breath and severe jawbone depletion, which makes it difficult, if possible, to be considered as a suitable candidate for dentures or dental implants.
Gum Disease Prevention in Albertville, Alabama
For all the stated reasons, gum disease needs your immediate attention, and it can be reversed if it’s in its beginning stages. Once gingivitis has progressed to periodontitis, a patient will need more extensive treatment, including dental deep cleanings and potentially laser gum therapy to remove diseased gum tissue. If you notice that your gums are inflamed, red or bleeding, please call our family dentists at Wall Street Dentistry at (256) 400-2783 or reach out to us online to schedule an appointment today.
