Periodontal Services in Tampa, FL

The gums are an integral part of one’s mouth, which does the job of enhancing the smile and holding the teeth in their position. Just having a great set of teeth but not healthy gums would do no good as unhealthy gums can put your oral health in serious trouble. This is why we give a lot of importance to the treatment of gum infections and diseases.

What is periodontitis?

Periodontitis is, by far, the most severe condition that can affect the gums. It usually starts as a mild inflammation of the gums, characterized by swelling and pain. Sometimes, there is a discharge of pus or blood from the gums, especially when you brush the teeth or chew food. At this stage, the condition would be called gingivitis.

It would advance to acute stages when it isn’t treated at the right time and turn into periodontitis. It can lead to severe decay of the tissues, loosening of teeth from their sockets, bad breath, the formation of an abscess, bleeding of the gums, receding of the gum line, etc. It ruins both the aesthetics of the gums and puts the nearby teeth at risk of developing infections.

What causes periodontitis?

Periodontitis is mostly caused due to the accumulated plaque and tartar near the gum line. The microbes in the tartar release acids that are capable of eroding the enamel causing cavities, and also infect the tissues of the gums. It usually decays the gums and makes them recede, due to which the teeth look longer than they actually are.

Other causes of periodontal are improper and irregular brushing of teeth, which leaves a lot of microbes in the mouth. Over time, they cause gum infections. Sometimes, injury to the mouth can cause damage to the gums, thereby exposing the blood vessels and soft tissues to the microbes in the mouth. Root canal infection is also known to cause gingivitis in some cases.

How do you know when to get treatment?

Dentists say most cases of periodontitis could have been treated during the early stages itself if the patient visited the dentist on time. But, in many instances, patients ignore the initial symptoms and would just wait for them to go away in a few days. This is where the situation can go downhill for you.

If you notice small traces of blood when you brush your teeth, feel your gums line is uneven due to receding, experience bleeding and release of pus from the gums, or feel your teeth are starting to loosen from their sockets, you should visit a dentist to get the condition diagnosed.

How can the disease be countered?

Scaling and root planing are two procedures that help eliminate the accumulated tartar from the surface of the teeth and root surfaces, respectively. This provides significant relief from the condition as the infection-causing microbes will be removed. Further, medication will be suggested, which reduces the severity of periodontitis. The medication may be in the form of oral pills or drugs placed in between the gums and the root surfaces. Though periodontitis isn’t completely curable, it can definitely be controlled.

Please schedule an online appointment with Dentist in Tampa FL or call us at (813) 999-1092 to have a consultation with Dr. Gubernick, and we will be happy to help.