When you are able to notice, diagnose, and begin treatment for gum disease in a timely manner, you greatly improve your dental prognosis. Because gum disease is progressive, it only gets worse when left alone. Over time, this can result in irrevocable damage to your smile.
In this article, our O’Fallon periodontal dentists are going to be talking about the ways that gum disease manifests, as well as some next steps that you can take. So let’s get started by talking about some of the things that can indicate infection.
Schedule an oral health assessment with your dental team if you notice that your gums are:
- Red
- Swollen
- Bleeding frequently
- Sensitive or uncomfortable
- Receding (pulling away from your teeth)
Many people also notice that their mouths taste or smell unpleasant. It can be especially hard to freshen your breath while dealing with a chronic gum infection. The truth is that these odors and tastes actually occur naturally as bacteria grow and multiply.
As we start to treat your periodontal disease, we’ll first focus on neutralizing as much bacteria as possible. Once bacteria levels are under control, we can complete restorative treatments to rebuild missing dental material.
Don’t let gum disease grow out of control! Timely intervention can save you a lot of inconvenience, expense, and discomfort down the road. You can always reach our O’Fallon dentist to learn more by calling our office, or by using the Contact Us page on our website to submit an inquiry.