In its early stages, gum disease is easily treatable before any long term damaged has been caused. However, most people fail to recognize the signs of gum disease, allowing it to go undiagnosed and untreated until it has progressed to the later stages. It’s important to learn the signs of gum disease so your family dentist in Virginia Beach can provide the intervention you need to stop the progression of damage. Since the disease can be difficult to detect, we check for the condition at routine appointments to catch it while it’s in its early stages. Then, we provide gum disease treatment in Virginia Beach to keep your teeth and gums as healthy as possible.
What Causes Gum Disease?
Gum disease results when an accumulation of bacteria around the gum line causes an infection in the gums. When bacteria, plaque, and tarter aren’t removed with brushing, flossing, and regular visits to your dentist, the bacteria become trapped in the gum line. As a result, an infection develops that can cause a wide range of complications.
What are the Early Signs of Gum Disease?
In the early stage, gum disease is known as gingivitis, which is preventable and treatable. Often, the first symptom of the infection is bleeding gums when brushing and flossing. However, due to misconceptions, many people think bleeding gums are perfectly normal. As your local dentist in Virginia Beach, we are here to tell you bleeding gums are never normal.
In addition to bleeding, the gums often become red and inflamed. The gums may also become painful. Overtime, as the infection is left untreated, you can begin to experience tooth pain and the teeth may even become loose.
What are the Signs of Late Stage Gum Disease?
When gingivitis goes untreated, the bacteria becomes trapped under the gum line. As a result, deep pockets develop where the bacteria continues to thrive and wreak havoc in the mouth. At this point, the gum line can start to recede and even expose the tooth root. Tooth pain is likely at this point as the tooth and surrounding structures have become damaged. This damage will cause the teeth to become loose, shift, and eventually fall out.
The infection can continue to spread into the jaw bone and surrounding structures. When the infection reaches the most severe point, it may even spread into the blood stream. With gum disease directly linked to causing multiple overall health issues, including heart disease, you must seek treatment right away if you notice signs of gum disease.
Gum Disease Treatment in Virginia Beach
At Esparza Family Dentistry, we provide gum disease prevention and treatment. At each routine cleaning and checkup, we will check the health of your gums to look for signs of infection. Should an infection be present, we will provide the most appropriate course of treatment to stop the progression of damage. Then, we will work to repair areas that have been damaged to help you regain a beautiful smile.
If you need gum disease treatment in Virginia Beach, please call our office at (757) 394-8562 to schedule an appointment.