Do you sometimes see a little blood in the sink after you’re done brushing or flossing? Don’t ignore it. That’s a big sign you have gum disease. If untreated, this condition can lead to bone loss and your teeth falling out.

That’s why you need to call our Honolulu, HI dental office today at 808-797-3680 and schedule an appointment for gum disease treatment. Our dentists are well trained at using cleaning and soft-tissue lasers to reverse gum disease. You can also work with our on-site periodontist if your gum disease has progressed to being serious.

Gingivitis And Worse

Gum disease and cavities actually have the same cause: harmful bacteria. Everyone has some of these in their mouths. They survive by eating tiny particles of drink and food that get stuck in your mouth. They also produce an acid. When this happens on your teeth, the acid erodes the enamel and gives you cavities. But when this happens on your gums, you get gum disease.

That’s why gum disease is linked to poor dental hygiene. If you don’t brush and floss regularly, you’re leaving behind the food particles needed by those bacteria. This helps them grow and create more acid.
Gum disease has two stages: early and advanced.

  • Gingivitis is the early stage. Here, the bacteria are hurting your gums but have not infected them. Signs you have gingivitis include tenderness, soreness, swelling, and bleeding of your gums. You often have halitosis (bad breath) as well.
  • Periodontitis is the advanced stage. By this point, the bacteria have gotten inside your gum tissues and infected them. Periodontitis is marked by severe gum problems, receding gums, and loose teeth.

By calling A Downtown Dental Group today, you can make an appointment for gum disease treatment. That’s how you can prevent gingivitis from becoming periodontitis, but time is not on your side. Things keep getting worse until you get treatment.

How Gum Disease Ruins Your Smile

One of the tricky things about gum disease is how it starts out so slowly. It’s not like you wake up one day and have loose teeth. Instead, you can see just a little pinkness in the sink after you brush.

Your teeth can get loose and fall out.

As the bacteria infect your gum tissues, they start to react by pulling away from your teeth. Then the infection begins to deteriorate your jawbone. When these work together, your teeth will get loose in their sockets.

Eventually, they will even fall out.

You could have halitosis most or all of the time.

When your gums get hurt by that acid, the gum tissue cells begin to die off. As this happens, they give off a bad odor. That’s why people with gingivitis often have halitosis. Brushing, gum, and mints won’t help because the smell is coming directly from your gums.

Your gums can bleed and darken.

As the gums get damaged and irritated, they become very sensitive. Something like brushing can easily cut them open, which is why you can see blood in the sink when you have gum disease. But you can bleed even just by chewing. Plus, your gums can start to turn dark red or blackish, which certainly does not look good.

Your infection can spread to other parts of your body.

With periodontitis, the bacteria have infected your gums. Your immune system will start to fight it, leading to problems with inflammation. However, those bacteria will eventually get past your immune system and get into your bloodstream. This carries the infection to other parts of your body, giving you health problems.

Gum Disease Treatment In Honolulu

Then what can you do about gum disease? Call our Honolulu, HI dental office and make an appointment. Our dentists are trained in using several gum disease treatments. One includes using a soft-tissue laser to gently remove infected gum tissues while leaving the healthy tissue alone. Because there’s a periodontist in our office, you can also get antibiotic treatment and oral surgery if needed.

Call us TODAY at 808-797-3680 or use our convenient online form to schedule your gum disease treatment. The longer you wait, the more gum disease will threaten your teeth.