Keeping your smile strong and healthy requires a lot more than caring for your teeth. You really have to think about the strength and integrity of all of your foundational oral tissues as well. With that in mind, our Saint Louis dentists are here with some information about how periodontal disease generally manifests. We hope that this information empowers you to seek treatment for gum health problems as soon as they pop up.
Gum tissue naturally comes in a number of different shades, but, generally speaking, gums are some shade of beige or pink. If you start to notice that your gums are looking brighter red or inflamed, this could be a sign that your gums are infected.
Additionally, infected gums are often prone to bleeding when the patient flosses or eats something abrasive or crunchy. As your oral tissues become irritated and swollen, blood vessels become more fragile and prone to damage. The good news is that as your gums begin to heal, they should become more resilient and stop bleeding.
As gum disease progresses you may start to notice that your breath feels and smells different than it normally does. This happens because harmful oral bacteria release odors when they feed and multiply. Persistent, hard-to-treat bad breath can actually indicate that you have accumulated a lot of bacterial plaque and tartar throughout your mouth.
In many cases, it’s imperative that patients combine at-home dental care with professional gum disease treatments in order to get control of periodontal disease. Our Saint Louis dentists use the latest treatments and technologies to help minimize oral bacteria and regenerate healthy gum tissue.
If you think you may be dealing with gum disease, then it’s time to reach out to our dental team for help! You can always give us a call, or use the Contact Us page on our site to submit a specific question for our dentists.