Gum disease or periodontal disease is a serious oral disease that can have a major effect on your teeth–and your overall health. Although periodontal disease starts in the mouth, having the disease puts you at risk for developing more serious diseases like heart attacks, strokes, and Alzheimer’s. Is it important to understand how to spot this disease in its early stages, before it leads to more serious complications like bone loss and teeth loss. The information below will help you identify some symptoms of gum disease, then explain treatment options if it has already occurred.
What Are Some Signs that You May Have Gum Disease?
Gum disease is known to have similar symptoms during its four different stages. Without treatment those symptoms can escalate to infecting the bone and eventually losing teeth. Symptoms will start off as mild and progressively worsen. Symptoms will become more noticeable as the disease progresses into advanced stages. According to The Mayo Clinic, some of the signs that you may have this disease include:
- Sensitive gums
- Bleeding while brushing or flossing
- Increase in the size of the pocket between the gums and the teeth
- Bad breath
- Pus filled gums
- Teeth and gum sensitivity
- Loose teeth
- Teeth falling out
Once you begin to notice signs and symptoms, it is wise to go see a dentist. Gums determine your overall dental health, and the longer your issue goes untreated, the more serious the illness can get. During the final stage of gum disease, a patient will need to have surgery and potentially receive dental implants.
How Do You Treat Gum Disease?
There are a few available methods to treat this condition. These options include gum therapy and some holistic gum disease treatments. Depending on the severity of the gum disease, it may not be curable. However, there are treatment options that can help an individual that is struggling with their dental hygiene and gum disease symptoms. Once gum disease, or periodontal disease, reaches a certain stage that it will never go away, treatment options help to ensure that the disease does not lead to bone loss or tooth loss.
What Is Gum Therapy?
Gum therapy is a procedure that is usually performed by a dental hygienist. Its stages include scaling and root planing. The procedure helps to remove large amounts of plaque and tartar buildup–on the teeth and in and around the gums. The process of gum therapy is not painful. Sometimes dental practitioners may use anesthetics to numb any pain that the patient may feel.
Gum therapy is normally followed up by steps to improve dental care at home. You may need medications like antibiotics to decrease the amount of bacteria in the mouth and gums. A mouth rinse specifically for gum therapy can also help you maintain the best gum hygiene possible. Depending on the severity of the disease, a dentist might recommend more frequent visits to the dentist–outside of the normal twice a year recommendation.
What Are the Holistic Treatment Options?
There are some natural and holistic products that can help to manage the symptoms of gum disease and control the severity of the issue. However, these products will not be beneficial without the assistance of regular dental visits and deep cleaning procedures–including scaling and root planing gum therapy treatment. There are herbal products available that can help alleviate some gum disease symptoms. Pure essential oils and botanical oils can help relieve painful and irritated gums or even alleviate bad breath. Many of these oils also destroy the growth of microorganisms in the mouth. Some of the best oils that are used for gum disease include cinnamon, lavender, green tea, eucalyptus, and peppermint–to name a few. However, these oils aren’t a substitute for professional dental care.
Another procedure that is used as gum therapy is ozone dental treatment. Ozone therapy is the use of ozone molecules in gas, water, or oil form. The ozonation helps to manage tooth decay as well as disinfect the gums. This treatment has been helpful to help fight gum disease. The use of ozone treatment therapy will also initiate the healing process and keep away bacteria.
For more information about gum disease and its treatments–or to learn more about holistic practices for dental health and hygiene, please visit Pure Holistic Dental.