Preserve Your Smile by Treating Gum Disease Early

When life gets busy, routine dental care often gets relegated to the back burner. However, regular dental exams and cleanings are key to keeping your teeth and gums problem-free. Gingivitis (early gum disease) is a problem people can easily miss in its formative stage. At Positive Image Dental, Devonshire, Bermuda, we can detect this condition during a routine dental exam and provide early-stage gum disease treatment to keep it from worsening. Here’s what you should know about gum disease symptoms and treatments.

About Gingivitis and Periodontitis

Early gum disease is called gingivitis, which can be characterized by tender or swollen gums and mild bleeding when you brush your teeth. Early gingivitis symptoms can often be reversed by taking better care of your teeth. This includes daily brushing and flossing and keeping up with routine dental cleanings.

If you ignore these symptoms or don’t take them seriously, gingivitis can progress to periodontitis, advanced gum disease, which can severely damage your gums and teeth and lead to tooth loss. There’s no cure for periodontitis. However, your dentists can provide treatments to manage your symptoms and save your teeth.

Warning Signs of Gum Disease

The following are some early warning signs of gingivitis:

Swollen, tender gums
Visible plaque buildup on your teeth
Gums that bleed when you brush or floss your teeth

As your condition worsens to periodontitis, you may experience:

Persistent bad breath, even after brushing teeth
Receding gums
Tooth discoloration due to tartar buildup
Weak or loose teeth
Premature tooth loss

The good news is that gingivitis can be diagnosed early during a routine dental exam. This gives you a chance to nip it in the bud before it progresses into periodontitis.

Early-Stage Gum Disease Treatment

If you’re showing signs of gingivitis, schedule a checkup with your dentist to diagnose your condition. Our dentists at Positive Image Dental are well-versed in treating gum disease and can recommend steps to improve your tooth and gum health.

Depending on your condition, we may suggest changes to your oral hygiene routine or schedule more frequent dental cleanings to minimize plaque and tartar buildup on your teeth – the primary causes of gum disease. Daily brushing, flossing, and biannual dental cleanings are an excellent start to reversing gingivitis symptoms.

Call Our Office for More Information

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Deep Cleaning for Periodontitis

If gingivitis has progressed to periodontitis, we may recommend scaling and root planing treatment to restore tooth and gum health. Scaling gets rid of plaque and tartar that has accumulated on your teeth, above and below the gum line, where harmful bacteria breed. Root planing smooths out the rough surfaces of your tooth roots to keep bacteria from gathering there again. This gives your gums a chance to heal. You may need several SRP treatments throughout the year to manage periodontitis symptoms and restore your oral health.