EKalman's Journal: Dental Treatments for Gorgeous Gums

There are many treatments that will help to make your teeth more beautiful, but what about your gums?

Your gums often get overlooked, but they are important for your dental health and for your smile. If your gums are unhealthy or diseased, or if you show too much gum when smiling, a condition called a gummy smile, expert dental treatment may be helpful for you.

How Disease Can Destroy the Appearance of Your Gums
There is a very common dental disease called, periodontal disease, that affects the gums. Over time, periodontal disease can gradually destroy your gums, causing them to pull away from your teeth. This can make your teeth look longer than they really are, an effect that can be prematurely aging.

At the same time, periodontal disease is a major cause of tooth loss, so if you have noticed anything wrong with your gums, itâ(TM)s well worth getting in touch with an expert periodontist. By visiting a good periodontist, you will be able to discover exactly what is wrong with your gums as they specialize in treating conditions and diseases that affect the gum tissue.

What Is Periodontal Disease?
Periodontal disease is caused by a buildup of bacteria in your mouth. Everybodyâ(TM)s mouth has bacteria, but the amount is normally controlled through regular brushing and flossing. If you fail to look after your teeth and gums, bacterial levels can build up to such an extent that they begin to infect your gum tissue.

You are also more likely to get a periodontal disease if you have poor general health. Sometimes certain conditions in particular diabetes and other problems may impact your immune system and can increase your risk of developing this disease. Itâ(TM)s an extremely serious condition, and even if you donâ(TM)t have any general health problems, simply having periodontal disease may increase your risk of developing them.

Itâ(TM)s been linked to numerous health conditions, not just diabetes. Over the past few years, clinical studies have uncovered links between periodontal disease and heart disease, some cancers and rheumatoid arthritis, and it can also affect pregnancy.

Spotting the Early Signs of Periodontal Disease
One of the main problems with periodontal disease is that the early signs are quite difficult to spot. This is why dental professionals always urge regular checkups and cleanings. If the disease goes unnoticed, it causes bleeding gums, as well as gums that may feel tender or sore.

As the disease gets worse, the gums begin to recede and while this looks unsightly. It also allows bacteria from your mouth to get directly into your bloodstream which isnâ(TM)t good for general health.

There are lots of great treatments that can be provided by a periodontist, but even so, the damage to your gums can be substantial. The main aim of your initial treatment will be to control and hopefully eradicate the bacterial infection in your gum tissue.

Restoring Tissues Destroyed by Periodontal Disease
Once the infection is under control, your dentist will be able to discuss ways to help improve the appearance of your gums, and at the same time, this can help improve your dental health. There are several sophisticated treatments to help restore lost gum tissue. If necessary, any bone that may have also been destroyed by this disease.

This can have a stabilizing effect on your teeth while improving the appearance of your gum tissue. One technique to do this is called guided tissue regeneration. This can help restore lost bone and gum tissue by using a highly specialized technique.

An artificial membrane is used to separate the gum tissue from the bone, which encourages the growth of new gum tissue and bone cells in areas where they are deficient. The artificial membrane is necessary because bone and gum tissue grow at different rates. Its use prevents gum tissue from growing in areas where there should be bone.

Another technique is to carry out a gum graft. To do this, your dentist will need to take some tissue from elsewhere inside your mouth so it can be grafted onto your gums. Sometimes this tissue is taken from the roof of your mouth. Yet, if there is sufficient tissue, it may be possible to take gum tissue from the adjacent tooth.

It all depends on the extent of the damage as to which kind of technique will be used. One thing you can be sure of is that your dentist will be able to carry out the very best and most advanced treatment available today.

Once your gums have healed, the overall effect should be much more aesthetically pleasing and it will help to protect your oral health. If you have had periodontal disease, you will need to be vigilant to make sure it doesnâ(TM)t recur. A periodontist can supply you with an ongoing treatment plan to help keep your gums healthy.

What about Treatment for a Gummy Smile?
A gummy smile is the opposite problem, where teeth are covered up with an excess of gum tissue so they look too short. Someone with a gummy smile will show too much gum tissue whenever they smile or talk and itâ(TM)s easy to feel quite self-conscious about this.

To correct a gummy smile, your dentist will need to assess your gums and plan the exact amount of gum tissue to be removed. Using the very latest laser dentistry, your dentist will remove the excess gum tissue in a way that is much more comfortable than traditional surgery where a scalpel and stitches would have been required.

If necessary, the dental laser can also be used to shape the bone underneath the gum to give a more aesthetically pleasing result. The nice thing about having laser dentistry is that healing is faster and easier, and there are fewer side effects such as swelling and bleeding. The final result should be a pleasing smile where minimal gum tissue is exposed.

If you are worried about your gum health, itâ(TM)s worth seeing a periodontist to get a proper evaluation. This could not only help your gums but could save your teeth and potentially your general health.