Gum disease is something that nobody wants to have, but it can happen anyway. When it's in the early stages, there's a good chance that you can control and reverse it yourself. But as soon as it becomes periodontitis, it's up to your dentist to make the change. But how exactly do they accomplish reversing gum disease just with a simple dental cleaning? Read on to find out.
The Role of Calculus
For most people, calculus, or tartar, plays a big role in their development of gum disease. Tartar is just the hardened form of plaque, but it's impossible to remove at home so it can cause big problems.
While tartar is typically associated with causing cavities, it can definitely trigger gum disease as well. When gums are exposed to this substance for too long, it can inflame them and bacteria can potentially get into the gums, triggering an infection.
Gum Pockets
One of the problems that often occur with advanced gum disease is that gum pockets develop. As the name implies, this is essentially your gums loosening and creating gaps between your teeth and the gums themselves. These pockets allow tartar to develop inside of them, which can damage your teeth and continue to allow bacteria to damage your gums.
This is where dental cleaning comes into play. When your dentist identifies that you have gum disease and gum pockets, they'll go right to work. The first step is to clean your teeth and between your teeth. But after that, it's time to tackle the gums.
Your dentist will remove tartar from your gum pockets by using a dental scaler. This scaler will break up the tartar and pull it out, immediately reducing inflammation in the gums. It should also lead to your gums feeling less stretched, as they'll no longer have a foreign substance literally stretching them out.
Your Immune System
Once your mouth is clean, that's usually all it takes to reverse gum disease. In some cases, antibiotics will be prescribed, but usually, your own immune system can handle the rest. With the chronic inflammation out of the way, the tartar gone, and less bacteria in your mouth, your immune system can attack the bacteria that made it inside your body. As soon as this bacteria is killed, the gum disease will completely stop and you'll have healthy gums again.
If you think you might have gum disease, arrange for an appointment for a dental cleaning ASAP. It's likely all you need to get back to normal dental health. Contact a clinic like Family Dentistry Of Woodstock to learn more.
Every time you take a bite of food, you should be grateful for your healthy teeth! A tooth can lose its health and structure quickly once decay sets in. Luckily, if you visit your dentist for regular appointments, the decay should not get too serious before your dentist notices it and can do something about it. That "something" is applying a filling. On the other hand, if the decay progresses too long before it is caught, you may need a crown or even an extraction.
We want to keep our teeth, and we know you want to keep yours. That's why we created this website to teach you more about dentists and dental care. Enjoy!