Gum Disease Treatment FAQ
Arlington, TX

Do you have bad breath that just won’t go away? What about the way your teeth are sensitive to hot and cold? Do you think that it’s normal for your gums to bleed when you brush your teeth? All of these problems are actually signs of a surprisingly common dental problem: gum disease. Research shows that gum disease affects nearly 1 in 2 people, with almost half the adult population of the U.S. suffering from some stage of gum disease. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should visit Rush Creek Dentistry in Arlington and have our periodontist assess your smile for signs of gum disease and find an appropriate treatment.

There are different stages of gum disease, and if it is caught early enough, gum disease can be controlled and your teeth may be saved.

Ignoring gum disease and delaying treatment could cost you your smile. Call our office today to make an appointment with the periodontist.

Healthy gums are a necessity for healthy teeth. Our gums provide critical protection for the connective tissue that secures the base of teeth to the bone.

The two stages of gum disease, gingivitis and periodontitis, are serious health conditions that can lead to tooth loss and other medical complications.

Gingivitis is the more common and less severe form, accounting for roughly 70 percent of all patients suffering from gum disease. Gingivitis is caused by bacteria, which will grow in pockets along the gums, creating inflammation. If the inflammation spreads to the bone or connective tissue, periodontitis has occurred.

Periodontitis causes tooth loss, gum discomfort and pain, noticeable inflammation along the gum line, receding gum tissue, and increased sensitivity to heat or cold. Gum disease reportedly causes more bone loss than osteoporosis.

Periodontitis is controllable, but not curable. That's why the team of professionals at Rush Creek Dentistry in Arlington, TX is committed to helping our patients prevent gum disease through optimal oral health habits. They include:

At Rush Creek Dentistry, we care about the overall health and wellbeing of our patients and neighbors in Arlington, TX. For more information about how you can achieve your optimal oral health, call us today at 682-277-0535.

You have probably heard the term gingivitis from your dentist or in advertisements for toothpaste or other dental care products. Do you know what gingivitis really is and why dentists are so concerned about fighting it? Gingivitis is the earliest stage of gum disease and is more common than you would think. Nearly 50 percent of the population of adults in the U.S. has some form of gum disease, and many of these people aren’t even aware of the condition. Gum disease is caused by the accumulation of hardened plaque under the gums, which inflames the gums and eventually leads to tooth loss. With so many people affected by gum disease, is it possible that you could be in danger of developing gum disease and losing your teeth too?

If you are visiting your dentist regularly and maintaining proper oral hygiene practices at home, your gums and teeth should remain healthy for a long time. However, if any of the following apply to you, it is possible that your smile is at risk of developing gum disease:

Usually, if you are careful about what you eat and avoid snacking on sugary foods while maintaining proper oral care habits, you can keep your smile free of gum disease. One of the most important ways to fight gum disease is to visit your dentist for regular dental cleanings. When your teeth are cleaned, the hygienist is able to remove any plaque that may have built up and check for signs of gum disease. If caught early, gum disease can be controlled and treated to keep you from losing your teeth.

If you haven’t been visiting the dentist often and have noticed that your gums are red, bleeding, or swollen, you should make an appointment at Rush Creek Dentistry in Arlington to have your smile checked for gum disease as soon as possible.

Your teeth are not an isolated part of your smile, and the health of your whole mouth will often affect the health of your teeth. One of the most dangerous oral health problems that can cause you to lose teeth is gum disease.

Periodontal (gum) disease is quite simply caused by accumulated plaque. Plaque is a film made up mostly of harmful bacteria. If it is not cleaned off frequently, it will harden and begin to eat away at your smile. In time, this hardened plaque will infect and inflame your gums, causing gum disease.

Gum disease can be treated once it has developed, but the best line of defense against gum disease is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. At Rush Creek Dentistry, we do everything we can to help our patients near Arlington avoid gum disease. You may be wondering, “How can a dentist help me prevent gum disease?” Some of the things we might suggest to patients include the following:

These things are all essential to keeping plaque from building up and hardening on your teeth and reaching under your gums. If your preventative care fails in fighting off gum disease, it is incredibly important to notice the signs and seek treatment right away. Neglecting to treat gum disease immediately will leave it to progress into the worst stages, which means that bacteria will cause the deterioration of the bones that hold your teeth in place. As a result, your teeth will eventually fall out because they no longer have the support they need from your gums and bones. Make an appointment with our office by calling 682-277-0535 if you notice any of these common symptoms of gum disease:

At Rush Creek Dentistry, we want to do everything we can to make sure everyone in your family has a healthy smile for life. One of our biggest concerns in protecting your family's smiles is fighting the onset and spread of gum disease. Gum disease is a serious but often overlooked dental problem that affects nearly half of all adults in the U.S and is a leading cause of tooth loss.

Preventative care

The first step in fighting gum disease is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. This is why Rush Creek Dentistry wants to treat your whole family, so we have a chance to instill good dental health habits in your kids' lives from an early age. Everyone in your family can fight gum disease by learning the importance of regular dental hygiene and visiting the dentist. As your kids learn how to brush and floss their teeth properly and you remind them to do this two or three times a day, your own dental hygiene habits may improve as well. When you bring your kids with you to the dentist, they will be less likely to be afraid of visiting the dentist later in life. All of these preventative measures will give everyone in your family a better chance of being in the half of the population that is free of gum disease.

Treatment

If you, or someone in your family, already have gum disease, we will help you find the appropriate treatment for the stage of gum disease you are experiencing. This usually begins with a deep cleaning that will remove the plaque that has built up at the gumline causing the infection. Once the gums have been cleaned and only healthy tissue is left, we will coach you on improved oral health habits so that gum disease does not return.

Since gum disease is such a widespread problem, what are you doing to protect your family? When you want your family to have the best professional dentistry care, call our office in Arlington, TX to make an appointment to visit and see if we could be a good fit for your family.