Some oral health concerns, like bad breath, seem like more immediate problems than others. For most people, bad breath is something they have to deal with every day when they wake up in the morning. Concerns like tooth decay or gingivitis (the early stage of gum disease) might seem like distant worries by comparison, but when they develop, dealing with them is more complicated than brushing away your morning breath. For example, if gingivitis develops, then dealing with it properly may be a lifelong effort from now on, beginning with a comprehensive periodontal cleaning.
Signs that you need to deal with gingivitis
For many people who have gingivitis, the problem is allowed to progress into more serious gum disease because the symptoms don’t seem so severe at first. For instance, one of the early symptoms of gingivitis includes redness in your gums, which may be hard to miss if you don’t pay close attention to the appearance of your gums every time you brush and floss your teeth. Other signs, such as bleeding in your gums or the slight pulling away (recession) of your gum tissues, might not seem serious because they don’t typically lead to any discomfort in your gums or teeth.
The role of periodontal cleaning
The appearance of these symptoms is the direct result of gingivitis’ development, which involves the excess buildup of oral bacteria on your gum line and their infection of your gum tissues. This infection is known as gingivitis, and some of the specific types of bacteria that cause it can also cause rampant inflammation in your gums. When left unchecked, this inflammation and the progressive infection in your gums can lead to increasingly worse damage to your periodontal tissues and ligaments. If you have gingivitis, then periodontal cleaning may be the first step to dealing with it, and involves your dentist carefully removing the harmful bacteria that have accumulated underneath your gum tissues.
Keeping gingivitis under control
The point of periodontal cleaning is to remove the source of your gum infection so the tissues can heal and reattach to your teeth. However, when gingivitis fully develops, reversing the condition may not be possible. Periodontal cleaning will help stop it from getting worse and causing more damage to your gums and oral health. However, maintaining your good oral health will require consistent periodontal care and maintenance in addition to your regular dental cleanings.
Learn more about dealing with gingivitis
If gingivitis develops, then dealing with it as soon as possible could be essential to keeping your smile healthy long-term. To learn more, or to schedule an appointment, call Lake Orion Family Dentistry in Lake Orion, MI, today at 248-693-6213.
