Brushing your teeth is an essential step to maintaining a healthy smile for life. Though you may be practicing this process every day, the truth is, it can easily become like second nature to the point that we do not put much thought into preventive care. Though you may think this is a good thing, in actuality, it can cause you to become less strict on your routine and fall short. Further, brushing is not the only thing to keep in mind when keeping your smile healthy, and your gum tissues require just as much care and attention. In today’s blog, your Leawood, KS dentist discusses what you should know about your gum health, and how consistent care can help.
Hyperactive Oral Bacteria
When we ask our patients what they believe the most dangerous oral health concern is, they are often quick to identify tooth decay. While decay may be among the most common bacterial concerns out there, it is far from the only one. As a matter of fact, gum disease and other periodontal concerns are actually pretty close to decay in terms of development and frequency, and leaving the phenomenon untreated for too long can exponentially exacerbate your concerns. But how does it begin?
You see, gum disease is the result when oral bacteria are able to successfully evade your preventive measures and take refuge beneath the gum line. From here, they contribute to developing deposits of plaque and tartar on your tooth roots. Since the gum tissues cover this area, it can be particularly difficult to identify a problem early on. With that in mind, we encourage you to attend routine checkups and cleanings so that a professional can provide an in-depth look at your structures. For more information about this process, give our team a call today.
Damaging Your Tissues
When plaque begins to form on your tooth roots, a barrier is essentially created between your teeth and the tissues that house them. As you can imagine, this will lead to significant tissue damage and gums separating from your teeth without interventive care.
As the infection continues to spread, your gums may become sensitive, inflamed and may even bleed. What’s more? Tooth loss is a very real possibility of untreated periodontal concerns, and it is for this reason that we encourage you to take extra care of your tissues.
Ways to Protect Your Gums
To fend off gum concerns, it is important you practice flossing between meals. This process removes stuck food particles that may draw bacteria to the site. If you begin to experience any of the symptoms mentioned above, our team can also provide a scaling and root planing treatment in which we carefully but thoroughly remove plaque deposits from below the gum line.
Schedule Your Appointment
Your oral health is important to maintain, and taking care of your gum health is a must. Contact Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS by calling 913-681-5500 to learn more about this process and schedule your next visit with our team today.