If you have early-stage gum disease (also known as gingivitis), early treatment can save your teeth!
In the early stages, gingivitis is a bacterial infection of the tissues and bones that support the teeth. As the disease progresses, it becomes periodontitis — a more serious form of gum disease that can permanently damage tissue and lead to tooth loss.
Treating gingivitis early gives you a chance to reverse the damage done to your mouth.
- Brush your teeth twice daily (morning and night).
- Floss your teeth once daily.
- Use an antiseptic or antiplaque mouthwash.
- Visit your dentist more frequently (every three or four months, as opposed to once or twice per year).
- Quit smoking and/or using chewing tobacco. Not only does tobacco make you more susceptible to gum disease, but it also decreases your body’s ability to fight infection.
Your dentist may also have you take antibiotics to help fight the infection in your mouth. These antibiotics may be pills or they may be in the form of a mouthwash or cream applied to the gums. You may also need to use an antibacterial toothpaste or another special kind of toothpaste.
If your gingivitis has progressed into periodontitis, you may need to take more drastic measures to save your teeth.
- The dentist will need to remove plaque and tartar above and below the gum line (a procedure called root planning and scaling).
- Antibiotics are often needed to kill bacteria and stop infection.
You may even need surgery to repair severe damage to gums and/or teeth.
- Gingivectomy removes and reshapes loose or diseased gum tissue to eliminate pockets where bacteria and plaque can build up.
- A flap procedure cleans the roots of a tooth and repairs bone damage.
- Extraction (removal) of loose or severely damaged teeth.
After treatment, you’ll need to be extra careful to keep your mouth disease free. Brush carefully after all meals and snacks. Floss daily and use an antibacterial mouthwash. You’ll need regular follow-up appointments for cleaning and to make sure the problem has not returned.