When it comes to maintaining a healthy smile, your gums play a critical role in providing strong support and connection between your teeth and jaw. When problems with recession or infection threaten these important tissues, your oral health can begin to degrade quickly. In its initial stages, gum disease gives the unpleasant effect of a strong odor on your breath and the symptoms worsen as the infection spreads. Left untreated, your gums may begin to consistently bleed and recede. Eventually, you may lose so much tissue that your teeth become unstable within your mouth. Gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss in adults! To prevent the development of these problems, you should focus on the health of your gums when practicing oral hygiene. The same habits that seek to prevent tooth decay go a long way in preserving your gingival health as well.
At your Ankeny, IA, dental practice, we stress the importance of strong gum health at each of your cleaning and examinations. When you visit for a routine checkup, we will inspect your gums for signs of disease and provide appropriate therapy when necessary. By removing plaque and tartar during your cleanings, we target the bacterial source of potential gum infection. Because gum disease is reversible in its first stage, your semiannual checkup provides the opportunity to catch the disease before it requires lifelong treatment.
Routine Cleanings Maintain Strong Gum Health
Your checkups and cleanings allow your dentist to evaluate the health of your gums and detect when an infection is present. By attending these appointments on a semiannual basis, they also remove plaque and tartar deposits beyond the scope of your brush and floss at home. This means treating the root cause of cavities and gum disease at the same time! While regular cleaning can help prevent the disease from taking hold, we can place you on a more involved treatment schedule if a permanent infection presents itself.
Periodontal Therapy Prevents The Spread Of Infection
To preserve your gum tissue and prevent the risk of losing your teeth, we will place you on a periodontal maintenance schedule when we discover a case of infection that reaches your jawbone. A deep cleaning procedure can target bacterial deposits both above and below your gum line to clean pockets that feed the infection.
Talk To Your Ankeny, IA, Dental Team About Caring For Your Gums!
Maintaining a healthy smile requires taking care of your gums! By keeping up with your trips to the dentist, you provide yourself the opportunity to remove the source of gum infection and detect symptoms before they become worse. To schedule a visit, call your Ankeny, IA, dentist’s office at 515-207-6182. We also serve patients who live in Alleman, Elkhart, Bondurant, and all surrounding communities as well!
