You should never ignore the signs and symptoms of gum disease. Receding gum lines, painful chewing, routine bleeding while brushing and flossing, hypersensitive teeth, chronic bad breath, sores on the inside of your mouth, and other symptoms may point to gingivitis or even the more advanced stage of gum disease called periodontitis.

But if you suspect you may have some form or stage of gum disease, what should you do?

1. See Your Local Periodontist For A “Gum Check Up”
After you’ve already noticed possible symptoms of gum disease and they have persisted for two weeks or more without improvement, you have good reason to be concerned. The next step is to contact your local periodontist to schedule a “gum check-up” appointment.

Your periodontist will examine your gums, teeth, and oral cavity thoroughly for signs of gum infection and deterioration. He will also test for the presence of bacteria colonies living below your gum line and in your interdental spaces.

Anyone can have minor gum discomfort from time to time. That’s normal. And it may turn out you are only in the early gingivitis stage. In that case, you will be given some sound advice on how to reverse the trend and prevent gum disease before it happens. Otherwise, if there is a real problem, you will need to decide on a periodontal treatment method.

2. Learn About Laser Periodontal Treatment & Other Options
There are a number of different gum treatment procedures to choose from. The most technically advanced and least invasive is laser periodontal treatment with the Millennium MVP-7 treatment protocol, but whether it’s right for you depends on the specifics of your situation.

Tooth scaling and planing, where irregularities on your tooth roots are smoothed out to reduce the risk of bacteria clinging to them in the future, is often used in moderate cases of gum disease. If more gum tissue has been lost to the disease, gum flap surgery or gum grafts may be used to restore your gum line to its original condition – though it can take months for your mouth to fully heal and for the gums to regenerate enough tissue.

Additionally, there are various antibiotic and medicinal gels and pills that can be used to fight harmful gum bacteria over a limited period of time. This may be prescribed along with other treatments.

But laser periodontal treatment is often best for more severe cases of gum disease as it excels at eradicating bacteria like nothing else can. And the laser selects only infected gum tissue to destroy or remove, minimizing loss of healthy tissue. This is the least painful method of treatment and the one that takes the least amount of time as well.

3. Maintain Healthy Gums Following The Treatment
Preventing reinfection is the final step you need to take if it turns out you indeed had gum disease. Laser periodontal treatment has the lowest reinfection rate of any treatment method. Following all post-op instructions of your periodontist is also very important to preventing a recurrence.

Finally, exercising good oral hygiene through regular (and correct) brushing and flossing and use of an antiseptic mouthwash that fights gingivitis is also key – as is quitting smoking and following a healthy diet.

If you believe you may have gum disease and may need laser periodontal treatment or another gum restoration procedure, contact Dr. Raymond A. Kenzik in Ormond Beach, Florida, today! He will answer all of your questions about treating/preventing gum disease and can schedule you a “gum checkup” appointment.