Gingivitis Treatment in St. Louis County, MO
Gingivitis Treatment in St. Louis County, MO. Are your gums red or puffy? 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, friendly, and high-quality gingivitis treatment to families and individuals of all ages in St. Louis County, MO. We treat each patient as if they were a member of our own family. If you are experiencing 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 fill out our online contact form.
While gingivitis can sometimes be painful, it is typically considered mild. However, if left untreated it can lead to more serious dental issues such as periodontitis, tooth loss, and even loss of jaw bone structure. That’s why it’s important to receive gingivitis treatment right away. The CDC states 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 believe you have gingivitis, schedule an appointment with your St. Louis County, MO dental team at Plaza Dental for gingivitis treatment today.
Gingivitis Treatment: When Do I Need It?
You should get professional gingivitis treatment in St. Louis County, MO the instant that symptoms start. Untreated gingivitis will frequently develop into more advanced 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 normally develops in three stages:
- Plaque builds up. Plaque occurs when food particles interact with the bacteria that are normally in your mouth. Plaque contains bacteria and produces toxins that irritate your gums. Good dental hygiene is essential because plaque builds up 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 are allowed to accumulate, they irritate the gingiva and cause swelling. When not treated quickly, gingivitis can lead to serious gum disease and dental problems.
Because gingivitis is caused by a buildup of plaque, poor dental hygiene such as not brushing your teeth consistently or not having regular visits to the dentist’s office is usually the primary culprit. If you haven’t made an appointment with the dentist because you’re nervous about sitting in the dentist’s chair, Plaza Dental Center will help you feel at ease. Anxious patients are of particular interest to us as we want every St. Louis County, 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 related to gingivitis, such as:
- Smoking or chewing tobacco
- Old age
- Dry Mouth
- Not fully removing plaque in the gum line
- Poor nutrition and vitamin C deficiency
- Stress
- Dental implants that don’t fit properly or misaligned teeth
- Certain prescription drugs
- Conditions that lower immunity, such as HIV or leukemia
As you can tell, your gum health can be representative of your overall health. That’s another reason why it’s important to immediately seek gingivitis treatment from a professional St. Louis County, MO dental office when you first show 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. The usual symptoms of gingivitis include:
- Redness
- Swelling
- Bad breath you cannot get rid of
- Dark red gums
- Gum recession
- Tender gums
- Painful chewing
- New sensitivity to temperature in your mouth
- Bleeding when brushing your teeth
If you believe you have gingivitis, it is essential to reach out to your local St. Louis County, MO dentist right away.
Gingivitis Prevention
The simplest method of gingivitis treatment is prevention. A good, consistent oral health routine recommended by your St. Louis County, MO dentist will usually stop gingivitis before it starts. The best methods 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 good health practices, such as eating well and exercising to maintain a healthy immune system
- Not smoking (64 percent of smokers have gum disease)
- Control diabetes if you have it
At Plaza Dental Center, patient education is an indispensable part of what we do for our patients. We strive 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 arises anyway, and that’s when you need professional St. Louis County, 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 impact their daily quality of life. That is one of the reasons why twice-a-year teeth cleanings by an expert St. Louis County, MO dentist are essential. We can note early signs of gingivitis and other dental issues and provide you with gingivitis treatment before it gets worse.
Gingivitis Treatment
When you initially get gingivitis treatment from your St. Louis County, MO dentist at Plaza Dental, your dentist will work to diagnose gingivitis quickly. This usually means checking your gums for bleeding, inflammation, and/or redness, checking your gingiva for plaque or tartar, measuring the pocket depth of your gums, and looking for loose teeth and gums that pull away from the teeth easily. In most cases, gingivitis is easily prevented and reversed with professional gingivitis treatment.
In more advanced cases, more intense gingivitis treatment may be required. Your St. Louis County, MO dentist at Plaza Dental will know how to best treat your gingivitis. Some more advanced treatments include:
- Scaling and Root Planning, or Deep Cleaning. After numbing the area they are going to scale, your dentist then will utilize a special instrument or ultrasonic scaler to scrape below the gums and get rid of the tarter that has built up. As scaling can leave the surface of the tooth rough, a St. Louis County, MO dentist will then plane the root surfaces to make them smoother. As smoother surfaces are simpler to brush and clean, scaling and root planing helps fend of further tartar build-up, and has the additional benefit of reducing any irritation that may develop from the scaling.
- Restorative Dentistry. Poorly fitted dental crowns, dental implants, or crooked teeth will not only irritate your gums but will also make brushing harder, which makes staving off gingivitis harder.
- Ongoing Care. Once the plaque and tartar on your teeth and gums are gone, your St. Louis County, MO dentist at Plaza Dental will help you develop an at-home gingivitis treatment plan and preventative methods to ensure the gingivitis does not reoccur. We will also make your next appointment to ensure your teeth and gums stay healthy.
- Write a Prescription. Antimicrobial mouth wash can help destroy harmful bacteria in your mouth and stave off further gingivitis.
- Gum Surgery. If left untreated, gingivitis can result in serious issues with your gums, which can typically only be treated with surgery. To avoid this, schedule an appointment with your St. Louis County, MO dental office at Plaza Dental when you first notice symptoms.
Call Plaza Dental for Your St. Louis County, MO Gingivitis Treatment Today
If you have shown the initial symptoms of gingivitis, or believe you may have more advanced gum disease, it is imperative that you contact Plaza Dental for gingivitis treatment today. Our dental team and staff are friendly, caring, and knowledgeable, and enjoy working with St. Louis County, MO individuals and families of all ages. Call Plaza Dental Center today at 314-361-1818 or fill out our online contact form.