Symptoms of Gum Disease

Everyone has bacteria in their gums. In fact, small amounts of bacteria are good for us. However, when bacteria start to multiply in your mouth, they can often become out of control, growing and multiplying until the bacteria cause severe problems. There are certain symptoms that are very telling of gum disease, such as the following. 

  • Swollen or “gummy” gums that protrude further than usual
  • Red, purple, or dark gums
  • Bloody gums or gums that bleed at the slightest provocation
  • Receding gums, possibly showing roots of your teeth
  • Loose teeth or loss of teeth
  • Painful gums or teeth
  • Long-term bad breath 
  • Painful chewing
  • Noticeable differences in your bite or spaces between teeth

If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s time to see a periodontist for treatment. Without treatment, your symptoms will only develop and get worse. To see a periodontal dentist, give our office a call at (302) 994-0979 to schedule your appointment with Delaware dentist Dr. Rosen. 

Lasting Effects of Gum Disease

Unfortunately, gum disease does not affect only your mouth. Bacteria from gum disease can spread throughout your body and cause serious diseases in other organs. 

Recent studies show that the bacteria in gum disease can travel through the veins in your gums to your heart, causing cardiovascular disease. Due to gum disease, you could be at a higher risk for heart attack, stroke, diabetes, or high blood pressure. In addition to heart disease, there is a connection between gum disease and pancreatic cancer, osteoporosis, and low birth weight in babies.

Because of these lasting effects, Dr. Rosen takes periodontics very seriously. When you visit us for your routine dental visits, we always thoroughly check your teeth and gums for signs of gum disease. 

Treating Periodontics

If we find gum disease during your dental exam, then we will begin treatment with a deep cleaning. In order to truly rid your smile of bacteria, we utilize ultrasonic scalers. These cleaning devices remove bacteria and other remnants without damage to your teeth and gums. 

In other cases, we may find that your smile needs more treatment than a deep cleaning. If this is the case, we will use an antibiotic treatment called Arestin. When we use Arestin, we apply the antibiotic locally, inside the pockets of your teeth. Unlike antibiotic pills, this allows the medication to directly affect the source of the problem. With this treatment, we can diffuse your gum disease in one visit rather than sending you home with at-home antibiotic trays. 

Periodontics in Wilmington, Delaware

If you have red or swollen gums, you could have gum disease. We encourage you to make an appointment as soon as possible with your periodontics dentist before you experience more severe symptoms. 

Our dental team specializes in gum disease treatment here at Michael T. Rosen, DDS, MS, FAGD, LVIF. To schedule an appointment with our team, give us a call at (302) 994-0979.