Symptoms of Gum Disease

Recognizing the symptoms of gum disease can help you get the dental care you need before the disease progresses to tooth loss. Without treatment, it can also cause heart attacks, respiratory problems, and issues with pregnancy and diabetes. If you notice any of the symptoms listed below, please schedule an appointment at our dental office.

  • Swollen or red gums
  • Bleeding gums when brushing or flossing
  • Gum recession
  • Sensitive teeth
  • Loose teeth
  • Bad breath

Once you get gum disease, the infection can spread to the bone and connective tissue that surround your teeth. At this point, you can lose teeth or have the infection spread to your brain or heart. It’s important to seek treatment to not only protect your teeth but also your overall health.

Periodontitis Risk Factors

There are several factors that can increase your risk of developing periodontitis. For example, poor oral hygiene can increase your risk. If you’re not brushing and flossing daily or visiting us for bi-annual dental cleanings, gum disease is more likely to develop. Unfortunately, having good oral hygiene isn’t always enough for some patients. There are other risk factors that can increase your risk that may or may not be in your control.

Other risk factors include:

  • Dry mouth
  • Certain medications
  • Diabetes
  • Hormone changes
  • Smoking/chewing tobacco
  • Cancer treatments
  • HIV/AIDS treatments

If you’re looking for the most effective way to prevent gum disease, it’s brushing and flossing your teeth twice daily. You should also make sure to visit us for your bi-annual exam. During this time, we will clean your teeth and remove plaque and tartar from under your gum lines that can form into gum disease if not removed. This also gives us an opportunity to see if you’re at risk or show any early symptoms of gingivitis. If we notice signs of periodontitis, we will treat you immediately so that it doesn’t progress and harm your health.

Periodontal Therapy

One of the earliest forms of gum disease is gingivitis. If you show signs of gingivits like red, swollen, bleeding or irritated gums, we we discuss a treatment plan to prevent gingivitis from progressing into early periodontal disease. This may include extra dental cleanings throughout the year or additional home care.

If the gingivitis progresses to a further stage of gum dsiease, we will treat at the earliest convenience. Your periodontal therapy, or gum disease treatment, will depend on which stage you have.

If you’re in the early stage of gum disease, early peridontitis, we typically recommend a root scaling and planing to remove tartar and plaque from beneath the gum line. We will also apply an antibiotic solution under the gums to kill off bacteria.

If your gum disease is at a higher stage, we will refer you to a specialist for your treatment.

If your mouth shows signs of gum disease, please contact BKS Dental for a consultation in Fort Atkinson. Please call (920) 563-7323 or contact us online today.