Gingivitis Treatment in Kirkwood, MO
Gingivitis Treatment in Kirkwood, MO. Are your gums red or swollen? Is brushing your teeth painful? Or do you have bad breath you just can’t get rid of? If so, you may have a case of gingivitis. Plaza Dental offers expert, courteous, and high-quality gingivitis treatment to families and individuals of all ages in Kirkwood, MO. We treat each patient like they’re family. If you have developed symptoms of gingivitis, or simply haven’t had your regular dental appointment in a long time, call Plaza Dental Center today at 314-361-1818 or contact us online.
While gingivitis can sometimes be painful, it is normally considered mild. However, if left untreated it can lead to more serious dental problems such as periodontitis, tooth loss, and even loss of jaw bone structure. That’s why it’s best to seek out gingivitis treatment at once. The CDC says that nearly half of U.S. adults over 30 have gingivitis or other gum disease, which makes it one of the more prominent health issues in the U.S. If you suspect you have gingivitis, make an appointment with your Kirkwood, MO dental team at Plaza Dental for gingivitis treatment today.
Gingivitis Treatment: When Do I Need It?
You should seek professional gingivitis treatment in Kirkwood, MO the second that symptoms start. Untreated gingivitis will often develop into more serious gum disease that can only be treated with costly and painful surgeries. Below is some further information on gingivitis and how to know when you need gingivitis treatment.
Gingivitis Causes
Gingivitis is caused, and gingivitis treatment is required, when plaque forms on your teeth and on and below the gum line. This usually develops in three stages:
- Plaque builds up. Plaque occurs because of food particles interacting with the bacteria that are commonly in your mouth. Plaque contains bacteria and produces toxins that irritate your gums. Routine dental hygiene is essential because plaque accumulates quickly.
- Plaque becomes tartar. When plaque is allowed to accumulate, it solidifies under your gums and becomes tartar, which collects bacteria and acts as a protective shield for more bacteria. The only way to get rid of tartar is with a professional dental cleaning.
- Gingiva become swollen. The gingiva are the part of the gum at the base of your teeth. When tartar and plaque are not removed, they irritate the gingiva and cause inflammation. When not treated quickly, gingivitis can cause serious gum disease and dental problems.
Because gingivitis is caused by a buildup of plaque, bad dental hygiene such as not brushing your teeth regularly or not having regular visits to the dentist’s office is most often the primary culprit. If you haven’t made an appointment with the dentist because you’re worried about sitting in the dentist’s chair, Plaza Dental Center will help you feel relaxed. Nervous patients are of special interest to us as we want every Kirkwood, MO resident and family to have the expert dental care they need and deserve.
Besides poor good oral hygiene, there are also certain risk factors associated with gingivitis, including:
- Tobacco use
- Old age
- Dry Mouth
- Not fully removing plaque in the gingiva
- Poor nutrition and vitamin C deficiency
- Stress
- Dental implants that don’t fit properly or crooked teeth
- Certain prescription drugs
- Conditions that lower immunity, such as HIV or leukemia
As you can see, your gum health can be indicative of your overall health. That’s another good reason to immediately seek gingivitis treatment from a professional Kirkwood, MO dental office at the onset of symptoms.
Gingivitis Symptoms
When plaque and tartar accumulate on your teeth and in your gums, your gums will react by becoming irritated and implementing several defense mechanisms. Typical symptoms of gingivitis are:
- Redness
- Swelling
- Chronic bad breath
- Dark red gums
- Receding gums
- Tender gums
- Painful chewing
- New sensitivity to temperature in your mouth
- Bleeding when brushing your teeth
If you think you have gingivitis, it is essential to reach out to your local Kirkwood, MO dentist right away.
Gingivitis Prevention
The easiest method of gingivitis treatment is prevention. A good, daily oral health routine recommended by your Kirkwood, MO dentist will generally stop gingivitis before it starts. The best means of prevention are:
- Proper oral hygiene, including:
- Brushing at least 2 minutes, twice daily
- Flossing once a day
- Regular, twice-yearly professional dental cleanings and polishing
- General proper health practices, such as eating well and exercising to maintain a healthy immune system
- Not smoking (64 percent of smokers develop gum disease)
- Control diabetes if you have it
At Plaza Dental Center, patient education is an essential part of our treatment plan for our patients. We want to teach you how to best take care of your teeth and gums in order to fend off gingivitis and other dental problems. However, sometimes gum disease emerges anyway, and that’s when you need quality Kirkwood, MO gingivitis treatment to help your gingivitis go away before it gets worse. Often, a patient does not notice when gingivitis starts as the symptoms can be mild and not affect their daily quality of life. That is one of the reasons why biannual teeth cleanings by a qualified Kirkwood, MO dentist are so important. We are able to detect early symptoms of gingivitis and other dental issues and give you gingivitis treatment before it gets worse.
Gingivitis Treatment
When you first seek gingivitis treatment from your Kirkwood, MO dentist at Plaza Dental, your dentist will work to diagnose gingivitis quickly. This most often means looking at your gums for bleeding, inflammation, and/or redness, checking your gingiva for plaque or tartar, measuring the pocket depth of your gums, and checking for loose teeth and gums that pull away from the teeth easily. In most cases, gingivitis is easily stopped and reversed with professional gingivitis treatment.
In more progressive cases, more intense gingivitis treatment may be needed. Your Kirkwood, MO dentist at Plaza Dental will understand how to best treat your gingivitis. Some more advanced treatments include:
- Scaling and Root Planning, or Deep Cleaning. Your dentist will first numb the area they are going to scale, then will use a special instrument or ultrasonic scaler to scrape underneath the gingiva and remove the tarter that has built up. As scaling can cause the surface of your teeth to become rough, a Kirkwood, MO dentist will then plane the root surfaces to smooth them out. As smoother surfaces are less complicated to brush and clean, scaling and root planing helps stave off further tartar build-up, and has the additional benefit of lessening any irritation that may come about from the scaling.
- Restorative Dentistry. Ill-fitting dental crowns, dental implants, or crooked teeth will not only irritate your gums but will also make brushing harder, which makes fending off gingivitis harder.
- Ongoing Care. Once the plaque and tartar on your teeth and gums are removed, your Kirkwood, MO dental team at Plaza Dental will help you come up with an at-home gingivitis treatment plan and preventative measures to make certain the gingivitis does not reoccur. We will also schedule your next appointment to make certain your teeth and gums stay healthy.
- Recommend a Prescription. Antimicrobial mouth wash can help get rid of harmful bacteria in your mouth and fend off further gingivitis.
- Gum Surgery. If left untreated, gingivitis can lead to serious issues with your gums, which can typically only be treated with surgery. To avoid this last option, schedule an appointment with your Kirkwood, MO dentist at Plaza Dental when you first notice symptoms.
Call Plaza Dental for Your Kirkwood, MO Gingivitis Treatment Today
If you have experienced the first symptoms of gingivitis, or believe you may have more advanced gum disease, it is incredibly important that you contact Plaza Dental for gingivitis treatment right away. Our dental team and staff are friendly, caring, and knowledgeable, and enjoy working with Kirkwood, MO individuals and families no matter how young or old. Call Plaza Dental Center today at 314-361-1818 or fill out our online contact form.