Your gums keep teeth secure and protect the underlying bone from infection, though they require comprehensive dental hygiene to do so. Otherwise, their tissue can become infected by plaque and lead to gum disease, a serious condition estimated to affect nearly half of Americans 30 years and older. In honor of Gum Disease Awareness Month this February, here’s what you should know about this prevalent condition, how to prevent it, and how oral surgery can help treat it.

Causes

Preceded by gingivitis, gum disease is a progressive infection of the gingival tissue usually prompted by excessive plaque buildup.

Smoking will significantly increase your gums’ susceptibility to this type of infection. Having chronic dry mouth, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, or certain genetic traits can also increase your risk.

Symptoms

Gingivitis results in inflammation of the gum tissue. At this point, your gums may feel tender or bleed. Excessive plaque buildup may also result in chronic bad breath.

These symptoms will only worsen as gum disease progresses. The infection will also start wearing away at gingival tissue, causing it to recede. This recession can expose dental nerves and leave you more sensitive to hot and cold.

In the more advanced stage of gum disease, your teeth may shift, become misaligned, or fall out.

If the bacterial infection enters your bloodstream, you face a higher risk of heart disease and pneumonia. 

Prevention

To prevent plaque infections, maintain a strict oral hygiene routine that consists of regular brushing, flossing, and teeth cleanings from a dentist. To further reduce your risk, minimize sugar consumption, avoid smoking and drinking, stay hydrated, and eat foods that support oral health, such as those rich in vitamin C or calcium.

Treatment Options

Gingivitis and early forms of gum disease can often be treated with antibiotics, as well as scaling and root planing—an intensive form of cleaning in which a dentist removes plaque buildup from under the gum line.

Oral surgery can also repair the damage caused by the disease. Gum grafting, for example, can repair gingival recession, while bone grafting can restore underlying bone loss.

If you have missing teeth, dental implants offer a long-lasting, natural-looking, and comfortable replacement option.

Gum disease only gets worse with time, so seek professional care at the first sign of trouble. For responsive and thorough treatment, turn to the Oral Surgery Associates of Alaska. Providing comprehensive procedures in Anchorage, these board-certified oral surgeons help repair gum disease damage with bone grafts and dental implants. To learn more about their capabilities, visit this dental surgery practice online or call (907) 561-1430.