Most people have some form of gum disease (about 90% of the population to some degree or other). If your gums bleed when you either brush or floss your teeth you have some form of gum disease. Gum disease is caused by bacteria that aren’t being cleaned from your teeth and cause inflammation which in turn causes gum disease.
Good oral hygiene is very important, so we will address this first. Initial treatment involves several sessions with the dentist or hygienist to scale and polish teeth. This removes all plaque and calculus. In addition, we may carry out the cleaning of deep pockets under local anaesthetic.
In addition, we may advise you to take a course of antibiotics which will reduce the activity of bacteria under your gums. For deeper persistent areas it may be necessary to clean and reshape areas.
Gum disease can occur at any time whether you are young or older, but is most common amongst adults. Early detection means that most gum disease can be reversed. See your dentist if you notice any of the following symptoms.
Ensure that you have regular check-ups. Early stages of gum disease can be treated before they turn into more severe conditions. Smoking can make gum disease even worse. It can reduce bleeding from the gums, whilst gum disease continues, you may miss the first signs of any problems.