Important Information To Know About Gum Disease

At Callie & Michael Romenesko - A Family Dental Studio, our top priority is delivering the highest quality dental care to our patients of all ages. We encourage our patients to visit our office for routine dental care, not only to thoroughly clean their teeth, but also to check for serious oral health issues such as gum disease. Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is a chronic infection of your gums that causes damage to the tissue and the jawbone that support the teeth. It affects more than half of American adults and oftentimes remains undetected.

Unlike other dental issues, such as dental decay, gum disease does not have many warning signs that would indicate a problem in the mouth. Gum disease is known as the silent disease because many patients are unaware they have the condition until it is diagnosed in our office. Between appointments, be sure to check your teeth and gums for symptoms such as:

• Bleeding during brushing and flossing
• Red, swollen gums
• Persistent bad breath
• Gums that are receding or pulling away from the teeth

One of the main causes of gum disease is poor oral hygiene. We recommend brushing your teeth for two minutes at least twice a day. We also recommend using dental floss daily. When teeth are not cleaned properly, it increases the amount of harmful bacteria that is left on the surface and between teeth. When there is a buildup of bacteria, plaque begins to form. When there is an overabundance of plaque along the gumline, gum disease will often be found. During routine hygiene examinations, we remove any lingering plaque along the gumline. Aside from patients who do not clean their teeth properly, other individuals who have an increased risk of developing gum disease include smokers, those with a family history of the disease, patients with certain auto-immune diseases, and patients with overcrowded and crooked teeth.

If you are noticing any of the warning signs mentioned above or if you have not visited our office within the past few months for a hygiene examination, call to schedule an appointment today at our office located in Appleton, WI. We look forward to seeing you soon!