Don’t Let Gum Disease Sink Your Smile: Our Elmhurst Dentists Can Help

Written by Dr. Scharfenberg on Feb 25, 2019

Don’t Let Gum Disease Sink Your Smile: Our Elmhurst Dentists Can Help

Gum disease, if left untreated, can sneakily and silently weaken your smile from the inside out. This is why it’s so important to seek prompt treatment for infections in the oral tissues. Today, our Elmhurst dentists are going to be sharing information about how we help patients manage and overcome gum disease. We hope that this short article gives you a better idea of what is possible with state-of-the-art dental care.

Gum disease occurs when oral bacteria infect a patient’s gum tissue and/or connective tissues. As the infection progresses it will be classified as periodontal disease—a more severe level of gum disease. Over time, a gum infection will spread to other areas of the smile: including teeth, connective tissues that hold teeth in place, and jawbone tissue.

In order to treat gum disease, it is crucial that we minimize the number of bacteria on your smile. Our dentists may recommend that you:

  • Undergo professional scaling and planing treatment, which clears away plaque and tartar down to the root of the tooth

  • Use specially formulated products that are designed to kill bacteria and support gum tissue healing

  • Incorporate additional tools into your oral hygiene routine to clear away plaque—a waterpik, for example

  • Modify your diet; this generally involves minimizing your intake of sugar, refined carbohydrates, and acidic foods and drinks

As your gum tissue heals, it will become less sensitive and more resilient. Patients who have sustained extensive gum tissue damage may benefit from tissue grafts to help build up diminished gums.

Prompt treatment for gum disease greatly improves your treatment outcomes—it is easier, faster, and less expensive to treat gum disease before it has become severe. Please reach out to our Elmhurst gum disease dentists to get more information about treating periodontal disease, and to schedule a personal consultation with our team!