Why do you need professional treatment for gingivitis?

To Remove Tartar

Plaque forms on our teeth daily, especially when our diets consist of a lot of processed foods or sugars. Plaque is easily removed with gentle brushing and a proper toothbrush. However, when you forgo brushing, have a poor diet, or have a surplus of bad bacteria in your mouth, you could be putting yourself at risk to have an increased amount of plaque, which can turn into tartar.

Tartar is a hard deposit that can only be removed by a professional oral health care specialist, such as a dentist or periodontist. They carefully scrape and remove the tartar, which can help your teeth and gums to heal and reverse the gum disease. Once tartar forms from plaque, it cannot be removed with any home care techniques.

How Advanced Is Your Gum Disease?

Your gum disease may not seem so bad, especially if you only see a little blood when brushing or experience mild tenderness of the gums. However, gum disease can be much more advanced than you think. Often patients won’t even know they have gingivitis until they visit their dentist. By the time you’re experiencing symptoms, your gum disease may be more advanced than you think it is. A dentist or periodontist can determine how advanced your gum disease is and may even be able to reverse it. Gum disease is reversible at certain stages, which makes it even more important to visit your dentist for checkups and seek professional treatment for your gum disease before it’s too late.

Infections Can Happen

Trying to treat gum disease at home isn’t only unsuccessful, but can be dangerous as well. Patients can develop infections due to the plaque and tartar on their teeth that are causing their gums to swell and bleed. These infections could be life-threatening if they enter the bloodstream, or the infection could turn into an abscess of the tooth.

Tooth abscesses caused by periodontal disease can even happen in the bone that supports your teeth in your jaw in extreme cases. Tooth abscesses tend to be painful and can lead to drainage of the infection that can end up in your mouth or sinuses. If not treated, a cyst can form in the bone which can cause the need for tooth extraction to drain the abscess and properly treat the infection.

It’s important to never ignore what your body is trying to tell you. When symptoms are present,schedule a visit with your dentist or periodontist. Don’t have dental insurance? Many offices offer financing through a third party, which is often available at 0% interest. You need professional treatment for your gingivitis!

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Endodontists Have More Experience

Your root canal specialist has received years of additional training on top of their dental schooling. This means that all endodontists are dentists, but not necessarily all dentists are endodontists. In fact, fewer than three percent are! This means that in order to optimize your root canal procedure, your dentist will likely refer you to an endodontist. Your dentist may feel that your root canal procedure is beyond his or her level of skill, or he or she may feel that you’ll simply have a better experience with a specialist that can do the best possible job on your root canal! Endodontists complete more than ten times the amount of root canals per week than dentists do, so their experience and skill level is often superior than that of your average dentist when it comes to performing root canals.

You’ll Receive Better Care

Root canal specialists have the training and expertise to provide you with a seamless root canal procedure. They’re expertise may even mean faster healing time and less risk for complications. They’re experts at root canals while your dentist may only have minimal experience performing them. The infected pulp of your tooth will be taken out and replaced with a synthetic material, and your tooth will be sealed up. This will effectively eliminate your pain and save your natural tooth! Afterwards, you’ll see your regular dentist to follow up and to help further protect your tooth for life.

A Comfortable and Pain-Free Procedure

Many patients who see an endodontist for their root canal procedures are pleased with the procedure and feel at ease with their specialists. Your endodontist has years of experience performing their work and making patients like you happy and pain-free. Root canal procedures maintain a myth of being painful—this simply isn’t true! An endodontist makes your procedure completely pain-free and comfortable for you while performing their work. Best of all, they’re able to save your natural tooth by performing a root canal procedure, and you’ll feel pain-free and be able to return to normal activity in no time!

An endodontist has many advantages over a traditional dentist. They’re experts at saving your teeth and completing root canal procedures as a result of their years of extra training. They help you to feel at ease, tend to be more flexible to accommodate emergencies, and you’re able to be pain-free throughout the procedure. Choose an endodontist for your root canal procedure!

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CareCredit is a healthcare financing service provided by Synchrony Bank. The focus is on types of healthcare that are not often covered by insurance such as dental procedures. Promotional financing options may even allow an extended period of time for a procedure to be paid for with no finance charges. This has made it possible for many to have necessary dental procedures taken now instead of having to wait until the money is saved up. Then a low monthly payment allows for the procedures to be paid off in a far less expensive manner than using a credit card.

What Types of Dental Financing Are Offered?

CareCredit allows patients to finance preventive, restorative, and cosmetic procedures. While you can get a comprehensive list on the CareCredit website, some of the options that can be financed are:

Root Canals – Don’t lose a tooth that could be saved by a root canal simply because your insurance only covers extractions.

Mouth Guards – Protect your teeth while playing sports with a custom-fit guard rather than a generic store-bought one.

Invisalign – This is a discrete option for straightening teeth.

Dental Implants – Don’t settle for dentures just because that’s what your insurance wants to pay for.

Whether you need dental care to maintain your smile, correct your smile, or repair your smile after an accident, CareCredit provides options that can allow you to afford your treatment now instead of later when it may be too late.

Does My Dentist Accept CareCredit?

Many do, and the list is growing, so be sure to ask. Remember, CareCredit is not a discount plan but rather is a financing option. You’ll be responsible for the full amount. However, CareCredit breaks the cost down into affordable monthly installments, often with no interest over a set period of time.

Whether you need some last minute endodontic work to look perfect at a wedding, or you are trying to take care of a procedure that you need but haven’t been able to afford, CareCredit is a great solution for financing your dental procedures.

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Loss of Tooth – Ultimately, not getting a needed root canal can end up in the loss of a tooth. The infection can spread to the gums and even to your other teeth. You don’t want to end up with gum disease or other problems due to delaying treatment.

Worsening Infection – When the roots of a tooth get infected, the condition won’t reverse on its own. You have to see a dentist to get the infected portion of the roots removed. Otherwise, the condition will continue to spread and cause the repercussions noted above.

More Difficult Treatment – The longer you wait, the further the infection spreads. This makes it tougher to treat, especially in back teeth that have more roots for the infection to spread to. The longer you have the infection, the more difficult it will be for a dentist to successful get to all of the infected material.

Continued Pain – The root canal will relieve the pain being caused by the infection. Why continue in constant pain when there is a way to relieve it? Once the pain is gone, it will be easier to eat and carry out other normal daily activities. Plus, pain affects a person’s mood, so your family, friends, and colleagues will probably be happy that you got the problem taken care of.

Whole Body Consequences – Infections in the mouth can easily spread via the bloodstream. This is why oral health has been linked to heart health by numerous studies. Delaying a root canal can actually put you at greater risk for heart problems or a stroke. Also, inflammation is commonly caused by such infections.

If you are worried about expenses, check to see if your insurance will cover the procedure. If not, your dentist will likely be able to work out an affordable payment plan. If your concern is pain, know that your dentist has many options to keep you comfortable during the procedure and that a root canal will actually stop the pain that you are presently experiencing.

While needing a root canal may not thrill you, ignoring it is a far worse option. Care for your overall body health and avoid costly dental treatments by addressing endodontic problems at the source. With the latest technology and advancements in the world of endodontics, root canals are far more comfortable and convenient than ever, and your smile will thank you!

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Smoking and Periodontal Disease

Smoking can affect the normal function of the cells that make up gum tissue. The result is gums that are susceptible to infection. When a person smokes, the type of bacteria found in the mouth changes. More aggressive forms of bacteria take hold and make gum infections more common. Smoking also increases calculus on the teeth. Calculus, along or under the gumline, can cause serious gum damage if not regularly removed by a dental professional.

Because smoking also impairs blood flow in the gums, the healing process is slowed. This makes it difficult to recover from periodontal disease even if the infection can be cleared up. Unfortunately, even those who wish to kick the tobacco habit often have a difficult time due to the addictive nature of nicotine.

Is Smokeless Tobacco Better for Your Gums?

Absolutely not! Using chewing tobacco can result in a receding gumline. This not only leaves your gums open to infection, but it increases the odds of suffering from tooth decay. Since chewing-tobacco contains more nicotine than cigarettes, it may be even tougher to kick this habit. Nicotine is not only addictive, but it also contributes to faster calculus build up and gum problems.

Quick Facts About Periodontal Disease and Tobacco

– Smokers have double the odds of getting gum disease than non-smokers.

– Risks increase based on how much a person smokes and how long they have been a smoker.

– Gum disease treatment is not as successful for smokers.

– Chewing tobacco and pipe tobacco also increase the risk of periodontal disease.

Other Dental Health Conditions Related to Tobacco

Gum disease is not the only thing that tobacco users need to be concerned with when it comes to oral health. Other conditions related to smoking and chewing tobacco include:

– Various oral cancers (especially when using chewing tobacco)

– Receding gums

– Poor bone density

– An increased risk of dental implant failure

You Can Kick the Habit

There are various medications, gums, and patches on the market to help people break away from tobacco and nicotine. If you need assistance, ask your dentist for recommendations. Your dentist will be happy to help since kicking the tobacco habit is the best thing you can do for your periodontal health.

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Alcohol Irritates Mouth Tissues

The soft tissues in your mouth can become inflamed when exposed to alcohol repeatedly. Irritating your gum tissues can lead to inflammation, which over time can damage the roots of your teeth. The
components of alcohol (mainly acidic components and sugar) can also be very eroding to the enamel of your teeth, meaning you’re even more at risk for sensitive or painful teeth over time. In addition, alcohol dehydrates you, and these dehydrating effects take a big toll on your mouth. Our saliva protects our teeth and helps keep our oral bacteria balanced, but when drinking alcohol, the mouth becomes dry and is therefore a breeding ground for bad bacteria and plaque. If you are going to drink alcohol in moderate amounts, be sure to stay hydrated while doing so. Alcoholic drinks do not count towards your hydration fluids.

Poor Oral Health

People who drink alcohol excessively tend to neglect their oral health by not brushing and flossing
regularly in addition to not getting dental check-ups. This combination of practices can lead to buildup of plaque and bacteria over time from the dry mouth that alcohol creates as well as symptoms of tooth decay and gum disease. Frequent drinkers tend to not notice or ignore any symptoms they’re experiencing when it comes to their oral health, such as gums that are red and inflamed, bleeding, sensitive, or pulling back from their teeth. It’s important to get regular check-ups at your dentist so that your dentist can help you treat any symptoms you have before they get worse. Alcohol can be very harsh on the gums and can eventually lead to tooth loss because of gum disease, tooth decay, or cavities.

A Maintenance Routine Is Important

If your drinking habits are causing you to forget to brush once in while, this is not a big deal. If, however, this is happening regularly or several times a week, you’re giving bacteria and plaque time to build up on your teeth. Many people enjoy mixed drinks, which can be very high in sugar and damaging to the teeth. The combination of the sugar and alcohol can irritate your gums, damage your tooth enamel, and if left with enough time in an ideal environment such as a dry mouth, can wreak havoc on your teeth.

Nearly everyone has different ideas about what they consider abuse of alcohol to be. When it comes to your oral health, drinking alcohol can be considered abusive when it interferes with your oral health through gum disease or other problems with your mouth. Keep to a routine and remember to brush, floss, and visit your dentist regularly—your teeth depend on it.

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Cracked or Chipped Teeth

No matter what part of your mouth is pierced, you’ll likely be fitted by your piercer with metal jewelry to hold the hole that the needle has made. This metal jewelry has the potential to cause damage by repeating hitting against your teeth. This can chip or crack your teeth, which will require treatment. Chipped teeth can be unsightly and cause problems with biting or chewing and may need a dental crown or other cosmetic dentistry done. Cracked teeth can be very painful as they expose nerves, which regulate your feeling of hot and cold in the mouth. You may have extreme sensitivity to hot and cold with your damaged nerves, and over time your teeth may suffer further damage from root exposure that cannot be reversed.

Gum Disease

When you first get pierced, your piercer will likely put a longer piece of jewelry in your mouth—especially the tongue—to accommodate the swelling that will occur as your piercing is trying to heal. These tongue barbells are ¾ inches in length. At this length, your piercing can rub or hit against your gums as you speak and chew, and this interaction can cause recession of the gums or injury to the gums. Gum recession can lead to gum disease, which can cause exposed tooth nerves and red and bleeding gums. Gum disease can also lead to tooth loss (from loose teeth) and tooth decay from lack of gum tissue to protect them. It’s important to have the correct size of jewelry after the swelling goes down to help prevent damage.

Infections, Bleeding, and Loss of Sensation

Getting an oral piercing opens a wound in your mouth that has the potential to get infected. Infections in your mouth from tongue piercings could cause severe swelling that may impair breathing. Cheap jewelry can not only harbor bacteria which can cause infection, but it can also come loose and pieces of the jewelry can fall out, causing a choking hazard. An experienced piercer who provides sterile, quality jewelry is important, as well as for proper placement of your jewelry—if your piercer hits a blood vessel, this will cause excessive bleeding. If they hit a nerve, you may experience numbness or lack of sensation in your mouth that may or may not go away.

Whatever your reason may be for considering getting pierced, consider the risks and potential damage that oral piercings can cause. Your smile needs to last a lifetime, so if you do get pierced, be sure to take care of your dental health and follow your piercer’s instructions for healing to prevent infections or tooth and gum damage.

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Periodontal disease begins with bacteria. There are always bacteria present in our mouths, but when left behind, they can build up and cause plaque, a sticky film that attacks the gums. Hardened plaque is called tartar, which has to be scraped off with dental instruments. As periodontal disease continues, it harms the gums and causes them to separate from the teeth. It weakens the connection between the bones and the tooth roots, and if not treated, it can eventually cause tooth loss.

Symptoms of periodontal disease that you may notice include swollen or reddened gums, painful gums or teeth or bleeding gums, especially after brushing. If you have any of these symptoms you should get to the dentist right away. Chronic bad breath that is not directly caused by food or beverages may be a sign of gum disease as well.

Periodontal disease is easy to treat when it is caught early. Simple gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease, is reversible with a thorough cleaning at the dentist’s office. When the disease is below the gum line, a deep cleaning can remove the plaque and tartar. At this stage the disease is called periodontitis.

A deep cleaning, called scaling, goes below the gum line with special instruments, and then the roots are smoothed to prevent reinfection. Antibiotics may be prescribed after treatment. In severe cases of periodontal disease surgery may be required for treatment.

Because genetics and illness can cause gum disease, even the most ardent brushers and flossers need to be aware that they may get gum disease too. The dentist can often diagnose gingivitis before you will see symptoms yourself. Dental checkups can catch periodontal disease early and treat it easily before it can get worse and require extensive treatment.

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The terms periodontal disease and gum disease are often used interchangeably. Both phrases refer to two types of gum problems. The first is Gingivitis which is gum inflammation. The second is Periodontitis which involves bone and ligament loss inside the gums which can result in loss of teeth. Both conditions are detrimental for oral health, but also have far reaching effects on the body, even being responsible for certain forms of cardiovascular disease. The good news is that periodontal disease can be reversed.

How do you know if you have periodontal disease? Your dentist is in the best position to diagnose the condition, and sticking to regular cleanings will allow your practitioner to catch the disease before it progresses. You can also tell at home, often when brushing or flossing. Diseased gums are quite tender and are more likely to bleed. Darker red or swollen gums are tell-tale signs of Gingivitis. What can your dentist do to help?

The treatment will depend on how severe the condition is. A professional cleaning will remove all of tartar and plaque that are causing the irritation. Then you will need to do your part at home by brushing and flossing regularly. Some who are unfamiliar with proper brushing techniques can benefit from using an electric toothbrush which will provide the right brushing motion for you. If you find using floss difficult, floss pics may help you to stay regular.

What if your condition has progressed? If you are experiencing Periodontitis, additional scaling on the part of the dentist may be necessary. Medication may also be provided. If you will need to continue applying medication at home, you will be given instruction on how to do so properly. Finally, don’t wait another 6 months to see your dentist. If the condition is serious, your dentist will want you back in about 4 weeks to make sure you have kept up with the routine and are making progress in fighting the disease.

In the worst case scenarios, your dentist may refer you to a periodontist who specializes in treating conditions of the supporting structures of the teeth. Surgery can be used to combat deep gingival pockets and sure up the bone structure. Sometimes a tooth or two needs to be sacrificed to save the rest.

Yes, periodontal disease is treatable. Early detection is the key to a full and speedy recovery. It is also vital to follow the instructions received by your dentist closely. Of course, the best way to fight periodontal disease is to avoid it in the first place through regular checkups and a good oral care routine at home.

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