Preserving a healthy smile requires taking good care of your gums and teeth. Fortunately, the same habits you practice each morning and evening to clean your teeth go a long way toward preventing gum infection. When you clear plaque and other bacterial deposits, you stop them from irritating your gingival tissues and causing an inflammatory response. If your oral hygiene habits slip, you may notice common signs of the disease. These could include chronic bad breath, bleeding when you brush and floss, or a puffy, red soreness that will not go away. By getting in contact with your dentist, we can examine the nature of your irritation, and put you back on the path to healthy gums. Treated quickly, we can reverse gum disease when caught in its first stage, gingivitis. But if you wait longer between dental visits, the bacteria may reach your jawbone and become permanent. Either way, we can provide a therapy to help protect as much remaining healthy tissue as possible.
At your Ankeny, IA dental practice, we strive for the importance of adopting behaviors that protect your smile before threats take place. Combining your at-home daily care with regular visits to our office gives you the best chances for preventing cavities and gum infections or catching them early in their development. When you receive an exam on a biannual basis, you can receive prompt care whenever a threat appears.
Your Routine Checkup and Cleaning
If it has been longer than a year since your last cleaning and examination, we want you to know it is never too late to get back in the swing of regular dental care. By visiting every six months, we protect your smile from cavities and gum disease while creating a record that spots when changes to your health take place. If we detect an active threat, we will provide more involved treatment to begin your healing.
Periodontal Maintenance
For patients with gum disease, we offer periodontal therapy to clean bacteria both below and above the gum line. This procedure allows your gums to reattach to clean roots and clear inflammatory symptoms of your infection. While your disease may be permanent, a state of remission can help you preserve oral tissues for many years to come.
Speak With Your Ankeny, IA, Dental Team About Treatment For Gum Disease
If you notice a sudden change in your oral structures, plan an appointment right away. We can examine your smile and determine if periodontal therapy is necessary to clean a gum infection. If you would like to find out more about this or any other service we offer, please call your Ankeny, IA, dentist’s office at 515-207-6182 to schedule a visit today.
