Milford Family Dental on the Importance of Paying Attention to Gum Disease Symptoms

Gum disease is a dental problem that’s usually undetected until patients come in for an emergency dental appointment. Gum disease should be addressed early, not just because it’s important for a person’s dental hygiene. Left untreated, gum disease actually triggers a lot of other health problems.

There’s no perfect time to treat dental problems. That said, the worst times are around the holidays – a chance to enjoy yourself shouldn’t be marred by sudden costly dentistry. That’s why gum disease needs to be treated as soon as it’s detected – leaving it for too long can result in complications during times when you’d rather be relaxing.

These symptoms include light to moderate dental problems, such as gingivitis, various stages of periodontitis, or damage done to the jawbone. When it comes to gingivitis, a person only needs to worry about their swollen gums. Swollen gums are easily treated by addressing plaque growth - all a patient needs is regular flossing, brushing, and potentially a dental exam and cleaning.

Periodontitis is more serious. It creates pockets in the mouth by destroying fibres and tissues that keep teeth in position. It can also harm the jawbone, creating further space for bacterial growth to happen. Seeing a dentist is vital in a case of periodontitis, in order to halt the damage, and potentially repair some of it.

When left unchecked, gum disease symptoms actually cause much more serious problems, such as heart disease and stroke. This is because bacteria from plaque can seep into the bloodstream, and become the source for infections elsewhere in the body. That’s why it’s so important to treat gum disease, and cut it off at the roots, as soon as people see its early stages.

If you have dental problems you’d like to get rid of, consult Milford Family Dental’s expert dentists! For more information on our services, visit https://www.milfordfamilydental.co.nz/ now!