It’s a common misconception that dental work only deals with teeth. Teeth take center stage when you flash your smile. A perfect smile is cavity-free and pearly-white. But one thing many often forget is their gums. Even a perfect set of teeth isn’t an assurance that you won’t develop gum disease. Gum issues are often painless, so you might think that there’s nothing wrong with your gums. But gum problems are quite common and can be easily prevented by taking good care of your oral health.

Gingivitis

The inflammation of the gums is more commonly known as gingivitis and it’s the most common gum issue. The common symptoms of this disease include bleeding when you brush your teeth, swollen gums, or red gums. Healthy gums usually appear coral-pink, and firm, and they don’t bleed when you brush your teeth. You can treat gingivitis with home remedies like a salt-water rinse, turmeric gel, or oil-pulling which involves swirling oil around your mouth for a certain amount of time. This reduces bacteria in your mouth while fighting plaque buildup that causes gingivitis.

Periodontitis

Periodontitis, also known as gum disease, is another common gum issue. It has similar symptoms as gingivitis although it involves jawbone and gum tissue loss. The damage caused by periodontitis could be very alarming because you cannot recover what you lose. Periodontitis is also caused by bacteria in plaque that attacks the ligaments of your gums. With proper oral hygiene practice, you can prevent gum disease. This also requires a visit to the best Beverly Hills dentist every other month for general cleaning.

Gum recession

Gum recession is a condition where the root of your tooth gets exposed as your gums pull away from their original attachments. This condition could happen due to gum disease as the jawbone surrounding your tooth deteriorates. When this happens, the gums will follow. As a result, the root of your tooth will get exposed. Teeth with exposed roots can be very sensitive to temperatures, are more susceptible to decay, and present cosmetic concerns.
 
If your gums are still in the mild recession stage, you can visit our Beverly Hills Periodontist for treatment through deep cleaning. You may need to take prescription antibiotics to get rid of any remaining bacteria. For the more severe cases where the gum recession can no longer be treated with deep cleaning due to severe bone loss or the pockets are too deep, you may need gum surgery to fix the damage.

Fix your smile now

Prevention is always better than cure, so you should try to prevent gum disease before things get worse. Follow a regular oral care routine which includes comprehensive gum and tooth care to prevent gum conditions. Using an anti-gingivitis toothpaste and a mouthwash will help keep your whole mouth fresher and healthier while reducing the occurrence of bleeding gums. For any gum issues, call Dr. Alex Farnoosh at (310) 928-1796.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *