Gum Disease in Chicago

What Is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal gum disease is an infection or inflammation that affects the gums and supporting tissues. This tissue, known as periodontal tissue, supports teeth and keeps them in their correct position. If it becomes damaged through periodontal inflammation, you could be at risk of tooth loss and other potentially serious health issues.

The earliest stage of gum disease is gingivitis. Gingivitis gum disease is typically mild and characterized by inflamed gums that bleed easily when you brush or floss your teeth. Gingivitis gums often look red or dark in color and might be puffy at the gum line. If you suspect you have gum disease, gingivitis or have any gingivitis symptoms, contact our dentist in Chicago for a complete checkup and evaluation. With fast action, reversing gum disease is possible.

What Causes Gingivitis and Periodontitis?

Gingivitis and periodontitis are caused by oral bacteria. These bacteria live in plaque, a sticky colorless biofilm constantly growing on your teeth. Plaque tends to build up in hard-to-reach spots along the gumline and between teeth. If you don't remove it promptly, it will harden into a mineralized substance called tartar.

Tartar, plaque, and the bacteria they contain irritate gums, triggering the gingivitis stage. At this early stage, gingivitis gums are highly treatable.

Without treatment, however, the inflammation of gingivitis can quickly worsen and develop into periodontal gum disease, which affects the deeper oral structures. Our Chicago dental office can help you develop a treatment plan that addresses your concerns and gets your dental health back on track.

Recognizing Gum Disease Symptoms

The early signs of gingivitis can be easy to miss because they tend to be mild. However, recognizing gingivitis symptoms can help you avoid the later stages of the disease by allowing you to act quickly.

Symptoms of gingivitis often include:

• Red or irritated gums
• Puffy or swollen gums
• Gums that are sensitive or bleed when brushed or flossed
• Chronic bad breath

If you notice gum infection symptoms, contact our dental office in Chicago. We will evaluate your teeth and gums, determine the underlying cause, and prepare a comprehensive treatment plan to address the symptoms of periodontitis and get you back on the road to good dental health. Gingivitis symptoms are highly treatable, especially when identified early.

Addressing the Signs of Gum Disease

Any indications of gingivitis should be addressed as soon as possible. This includes bleeding gums, red or purple gums, gum tenderness, shiny or swollen gums, and bad breath, all of which are signs of gingivitis in humans. Early gingivitis is highly treatable and even reversible, but once you have signs of periodontal disease, the treatment process could be more complex.

Report gingivitis signs to our Chicago dental clinic as soon as possible. A thorough cleaning could be enough to manage those early signs of gingivitis while a deep cleaning can give your gums a chance to heal.

Gum Disease Stages

The earliest stages of gum disease will progress to later stages if the condition is not addressed.

Gingivitis

The first stage of gum disease is gingivitis. At this point, your gums are irritated and inflamed, but the infection is superficial and does not yet affect the underlying structures of your mouth. Gingivitis can cause mild symptoms that are easily managed in most cases with professional teeth cleaning and improved dental hygiene at home.

Periodontitis

Once you’ve passed the beginning stages of gum disease, you could develop periodontitis. At this point, the infection reaches deeper into the oral cavity. At this stage, gum disease symptoms might include gums pulling away from your teeth and forming periodontal pockets. These pockets are impossible to clean properly at home, which allows more plaque and tartar to accumulate. That means more bacteria are accumulating, too, inflaming the tendons and deeper periodontal structures. Treatment at this stage could include a deep cleaning process known as scaling and root planing, which will remove the debris in the periodontal pockets and smooth the roots of the teeth to help the gums reattach.

Advanced Periodontitis

When you reach the last stages of infection, you will be dealing with a serious threat to your dental health. Periodontal pockets are deep, and the infection has destroyed gum tissue, ligaments, and bone. Your teeth could become loose or fall out, and the tissue loss is irreversible. Our dentist in Chicago will act swiftly to get the infection under control and make a treatment plan for reversing inflammation.

How to Cure Gum Disease in Chicago

Can gingivitis be cured? With prompt action and the right treatment plan for reversing gum disease, we can restore the health of your gums. One or several procedures may be involved in your gingivitis cure, including:

• Professional cleaning and polishing
• Improved at-home dental hygiene
• Antibiotics and prescription mouth rinses

A periodontitis cure may include scaling and root planing, gum surgery, and bone grafts. If you have lost teeth, our dentist might also recommend dental implants, dentures, or other prosthetics to treat your gum disease in Chicago.

At our dental office in Chicago, we are committed to providing you with a fully customized treatment plan and gum disease cure.

Everything You Need to Know About Gingivitis Treatment

If you’ve been searching for “how to treat gingivitis,” we can help. Treating inflammation with the appropriate gingivitis cure is critical to dental health. With healthy gums, you might just be able to preserve your teeth for life.

In many cases, a simple gingivitis cure and conservative therapies will help get the inflammation under control so that you can enjoy a healthy smile once again. However, if your periodontal condition has advanced, you might need to visit a periodontist. A periodontist is a dentist who specializes in gum health. We’ll work closely with them to provide you with the most appropriate gum disease treatment for your needs.

How to Reverse Gum Disease in Chicago

Is gingivitis reversible? If you catch signs of gum inflammation at an early stage, we have many treatment options that can stop and even reverse the process. Regular dental cleanings and exams should be the foundation of any gingivitis cure. Excellent dental habits at home can also help reverse gingivitis. The right gingivitis treatment should include brushing twice daily, flossing at least daily, and avoiding habits that could put your smile in jeopardy, such as drinking acidic beverages or frequent snacking. Contact our dentist in Chicago today to find out more about our gingivitis treatment.