San Francisco and Marin CA
Your smile is often the first thing most people notice about you. Most people aim to take extra care of their smile, knowing they only have one smile in a lifetime. Unfortunately, regardless of how much care you perform on your teeth and gums at home, harmful plaque and bacterial hiding areas are challenging to reach without the proper tools. Therefore, no matter how much time you spend cleaning your mouth, you can still be at risk for gum disease. Our San Francisco family dentists at Glen Park Dental share how to tell if you could benefit from a deep dental cleaning to have a healthier, brighter smile.
Gum Disease Causes
Gum disease is naturally progressive and develops in stages, starting with mild gingivitis and advancing to incurable periodontal disease. The condition begins when microscopic bacteria accumulate on teeth surfaces, around the gums, and between your teeth, with a preference for hardened tartar or sticky plaque. Although bacteria are consistently present, when you exercise proper oral health care, like brushing, flossing, and visiting a dentist for a checkup and cleaning every six months, the bacterial effect drastically diminishes, and your teeth remain healthier.
On the other hand, our Bay Area dentists explain that the bacteria continue to feed and multiply when you fail to brush your teeth regularly. As they do so, they excrete acids that irritate your gums, and in response, your gums respond by shrinking away from tooth surfaces. Unfortunately, the movement creates pockets and tiny channels where bacteria can move downward towards the gums, eventually allowing harmful bacteria into the bloodstream. Additionally, some patients experience deep bacterial infections or tooth root weakening, increasing you are tooth loss risk.
Gum Disease Treatments
Mild gum disease cases are manageable when you receive frequent dental cleanings and boost your at-home oral care regimen. Also, regularly visiting our Bay Area dental office for checkups and cleanings means tartar and plaque don’t stand a chance of continuing their attack on your tooth enamel and oral health. However, additional treatments are available to manage the condition for patients with more advanced gum disease cases. For example, a moderate case of gum disease can reverse the harmful effects when you schedule a deep dental cleaning, also known as route planning and scaling. Our dental hygienists use specialized instruments to go below the gum surface and into the root pocket to scrape tartar and plaque deposits away gently. We get rid of bacterial colonies that could cause an infection or tooth loss by doing so. Additionally, we will smooth rough surfaces on your teeth to make it more challenging for bacteria to latch on.
Severe gum disease cases require additional treatment beyond a deep dental cleaning. In some cases, an antibiotic gel treatment on your gums can help destroy hard-to-reach bacteria. In other cases, oral antibiotics and specially formulated mouth rinse may be necessary as a continual method to combat the disease while at home. However, when gum disease progresses into periodontal disease, it could cause severe damage to your teeth, gums, and jaw bone. There are treatments available to help manage disease symptoms at this stage, but unfortunately, there is no cure. Therefore, the earlier you uncover and treat gum disease, the better your chances of protecting your oral health.
Gum Disease Treatment in Marin and San Francisco, California
Based on the above information, it should be clear that everyone can benefit from a deep dental cleaning since it wards off harmful bacteria and keeps your mouth healthy. Whether you have mild gum sensitivity or can barely chew food because of the pain, our Marin dentists who treat gum disease firmly encourage you to schedule an appointment at our office for a deep dental cleaning. Then, you can remove harmful substances and protect your smile. To schedule a checkup and cleaning appointment, please call Glen Park Dental at (415) 585-1500 or request a consultation online.
