Everything You Need to Know About Gingivitis
Hi there, my name is Dr. Angelika Dzieza. I'm a periodontist at the Periodontics and Implant Dentistry of Tallahassee. Today, I wanted to chat with you about gingivitis.
How do you know you have gingivitis?
The way you know you have gingivitis or potentially have gingivitis is if you tend to see your gums bleed quite often. It could be bleeding spontaneously or even during brushing or flossing your teeth.
What is the most common cause of gingivitis?
The most common cause of gingivitis is bacteria and plaque. Bacteria build up within your gum tissue, causing your gums to become inflamed, which in turn causes bleeding of your gums.
What happens if gingivitis is not treated?
If gingivitis is not treated for a long time, it can lead to substantial issues, the main one being bone loss around your teeth. The bone around your teeth is the support of your teeth, and therefore it is very important that we treat gingivitis.
How do you treat gingivitis?
When treating gingivitis, there are a couple of things we want to make sure that we do. One of which is a specialized cleaning within our office, called a deep cleaning, to help get you on the right track. In addition, a really important part is to also help you and show you some techniques for how we can clean our teeth better at home and maintain that routine.
What is the timeline for treating gingivitis?
In terms of a timeline for treating gingivitis, it truly is a case-to-case, patient-to-patient scenario. Our goal is to see you for cleanings more often so we can check in with you and ensure that we're doing our part here and you're doing your part at home.
How do I know if I have gingivitis?
Gingivitis is a disease process that has certain clinical signs. The most common sign is bleeding of the gums. Patients will usually notice this when they're brushing or flossing their teeth.
What are some common causes of gingivitis?
The most common cause of gingivitis is bacteria that's on the teeth that the patient cannot or has not been able to remove.
What problems can gingivitis cause if not treated?
Gingivitis is an asymptomatic disease process, meaning that patients often don't see or feel much of anything. The reason why I mention this is this can progress into a more serious, irreversible disease process called periodontitis. In this situation, gum and bone-supporting tissues around the teeth are removed as a defense mechanism because the bacteria continues to attack the body. This can eventually lead to tooth loss.
What treatment options are available for gingivitis?
For gingivitis, the key is to make sure that all the bacteria is removed off of the teeth. The first treatment option would be to have a hygienist professionally clean the teeth, get any hard pieces of tartar buildup or calculus, different names for bacteria on the teeth, that patients cannot remove. Once the professional cleaning has been performed in the office, treatment options are going to be focused on adequate home care to make sure the bacteria does not rebuild quickly.
How long does it take to treat gingivitis?
Gingivitis takes an office visit, and after the in-office visit, appropriate home care should resolve the disease process within 7 to 10 days.
How can I schedule a dental exam?
At Periodontics and Implant Dentistry of Tallahassee, your dental health is our priority. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call our team at (850) 909-9731, or you can email us at [email protected]. Our staff would love to talk with you!