As one of the most common dental concerns out there, gum disease affects roughly 3 million individuals in America every year. While staying on top of your preventive care routine and visiting our office for routine checkups can help reduce your risks of developing this problem, many do not seek help until it is too late and the infection has progressed to a dangerous point. In today’s blog, your Lake Orion, MI dentist will discuss a few steps you can take to stay on top of your health and avoid the negative effects of periodontal disease.
Attend Routine Office Visits
While it is a common concern, gum disease is nothing to take lightly. It consists of bacteria making their way below the gum line where it is able to live an untouched life. While here, they begin to form plaque that is latched on to the roots of your teeth. Because this is all occurring below the surface, there is nothing to accurately remove these deposits. As a result, you may begin to experience side effects such as bleeding or inflamed gums, separation of teeth from the tissues that house them, and even structures becoming loose and falling out on their own.
As one of the major steps in a well-rounded preventive plan, a checkup and cleaning serve a vital role. When you come into our office for your visit, we take care to thoroughly examine your smile for any indication of damage, trauma, decay, infection, or any other abnormalities that may have developed since your last visit. From here, we are able to properly assess and provide your treatment options for moving forward. We also provide a gentle cleaning to remove harmful deposits of bacteria-laden plaque and tartar so that your teeth can remain protected.
Take Care to Floss at Home
As children, we all at one point or another get the lecture about the importance of brushing and flossing, much to our chagrin at the time. There is truth behind the process, however, as it serves as our number one way to keep oral bacteria at bay. Take, for example, after you eat a meal. Food particles tend to become wedged between teeth and attract these bacteria that feed off of them. This increases your chances of developing periodontal concerns, as you are practically luring them to the gum line. That being said, it is imperative to floss after every meal to keep your health at its best.
Seek Additional Treatment
In a number of cases, the development of the disease and progression of damage becomes severe, warranting additional treatment to address such as scaling and root planing. This process allows us to carefully remove the plaque that has formed on the roots and polish their surfaces to prevent easy bacterial attachment in the future.
Schedule Your Next Visit
For more information about steps you can take to avoid periodontal disease, contact Lake Orion Family Dentistry in Lake Orion, MI by calling 248-693-6213 to schedule your appointment today.
