Gum Recession: Soft tissue graft surgery. 3D illustration of Dental treatmentAttending routinely scheduled checkups and cleanings can do wonders when it comes to identifying possible smile concerns or threats. What’s more, they help keep your smile healthy and happy. Indeed, complications can arise when proper preventive care is not strictly adhered to, and if you wait too long before seeking help, the situation could get much worse. In today’s blog, your Leawood, KS dentist takes a look at this concept in respect to periodontitis and what steps you can take to improve your oral health.

The Dangers of Periodontitis

Believe it or not, periodontal disease is one of the most – if not the most – common oral health concerns there are. It affects roughly 3 million Americans every year, and consists of a number of symptoms that impede your oral function, appearance, and more. The problem is, however, that many individuals are unaware of these concerns early in the process, thus failing to seek treatment in a timely fashion.

Indeed, it can be difficult to identify the warning signs without a trained eye to help. Because of this, we recommend attending your routinely scheduled examination so that our team can help identify these issues and address them while they are minor, ideally avoiding their development into major complications. To schedule your appointment with our team, reach out to our office today.

Side Effects and Concerns

Gum disease results from harmful oral bacteria that have nestled their way beneath your gum line and latched on to the roots of your tooth. They first become attracted to the area due to stuck food particles in-between teeth. Once below the tissues, bacteria are essentially permitted to thrive mostly unbothered.

When an individual experiences periodontal disease, a number of symptoms follow. For instance, you may endure bleeding, inflamed, or sensitive gums. You may also experience teeth becoming loose, separating from the gums, and even falling out altogether. If you suspect you may be experiencing any number of these symptoms, reach out to our office.

How We Can Help

Typically, the act of flossing is helpful in preventing the onset of this disease. If it has begun to affect you, however, you may need to consider additional treatment such as scaling and root planing. During this process, your dentist will carefully but thoroughly remove deposits of bacteria-laden plaque from the roots of your teeth below the gum line. Following this step, we will smooth the surfaces of your structures in order to make it more difficult for bacteria to latch on in the future.

Schedule Your Visit

Contact Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS by calling 913-681-5500 to learn more about the steps you can take – both in-office and at-home – to care for your smile and prevent the negative effects of concerns such as periodontal disease.