Learn All You Need to Know about Gum Disease with Our Falls Church Dentists
You may not think it can happen to you, but your teeth are constantly at risk. Depending on your diet, how well you follow your daily dental routine, and if you contribute to any bad habits like smoking, your teeth could very well be suffering from periodontitis, also known as gum disease. Today, our Falls Church dentist will explain how gum disease forms, the different stages, and what you can do to prevent it.
A majority of adults in the United States have some form of gum disease, whether it’s mild or severe. Unfortunately, most of these adults won’t notice it unless they visit their dentist on routine check-up or until they have irreversible painful symptoms. If you allow gum disease to get worse over time, you’re highly likely to suffer from tooth loss.
Our mouths are naturally full of bacteria, adding more of it when you eat, and drink. This bacteria, along with mucus and food particles, form a layer of “plaque” on the surface of your teeth. Thankfully, it’s easy to get rid of this plaque by brushing and flossing twice a day, every day. If this plaque isn’t properly removed, it’ll continue to build up and harden, turning into tartar. This isn’t nearly as easy to clean and remove by just brushing and flossing—this is when you’ll need a professional!
The longer you allow the plaque and tartar to build up, the more harm you’ll teeth will be dealing with. Eventually, it’ll turn into gingivitis, a mild form of gum disease that’s extremely common in adults (and even some teens). During this time, the gums become red and swollen and can easily bleed when you’re brushing your teeth. People may not think twice about it when they brush—in fact, it may actually cause them to brush less if they think that it’s the reason that they’re bleeding.
If you allow the gingivitis to stick around, it can turn into periodontitis faster than you may think. During this process, your gums begin to pull away from the teeth and form spaces that become infected. The infection begins to break down the surrounding and supportive bone and tissue. Your teeth will start to come loose before they can actually fall out!
Simple routine visits to our dentists in Falls Church, VA can completely prevent this from happening, to call our office today at (703) 893-3333 to schedule an appointment!
