Did you know that gum disease isn’t just bad news for your teeth but it’s also linked to serious health problems in other parts of your body? Gum disease increases your risk of all kinds of other health complications, including stroke, diabetes and heart disease.
Gum disease is an infection of the tissues that support the teeth. It’s mainly caused by bacteria from plaque build-up. If caught early by our professional hygienists at Shoreham Dental, gum disease can be prevented and if not, stopped from progressing. There are two stages of gum disease:
1. Gingivitis:
Early stage that is caused from plaque build-up around edges of tooth Causes bleeding, redness, and swelling of gums
2. Periodontitis:
- Advanced stage, occurs when gingivitis is not taken care of
- Gum margin (part that seals the tooth to the gum) is weakened and causes more
- Swelling
- Suffer bone loss within tooth
- Periodontal pockets (when spaces form between gum and tooth)
- Tooth loss
Gum Disease Therapy at Shoreham Dental in North York
In the early and intermediate stages of gum disease, we can use deep cleanings to remove the hardened plaque and infected tissue around the teeth. Your Shoreham Dental hygienist will then smooth the damaged root surfaces of the teeth to allow your gums to heal and re-adhere to the affected teeth. An antibiotic rinse may also be applied to help control the infection. Once a deep cleaning has been performed, it is imperative that you maintain a regular brushing and flossing schedule to keep the plaque from building up again.