Along with regularly scheduled professional dental cleaning with a registered dental hygienist, your at home oral health routine is necessary for purposes of hygiene and dental health. Do you ever notice a tinge of red when you spit while brushing or flossing your teeth? Bleeding gums is not dangerous in and of itself; however, it can be a signal of a number of issues ranging from the wrong brushing technique to periodontal disease. If you experience bleeding gums, it may be due to:
If you experience any of the above symptoms, call Excellence in Dentistry in Fort Lauderdale at 954-928-1666 and schedule a complete exam and dental cleaning. Dr. Nancy Rotroff and Dr. Gerard Wasselle will perform a complete dental exam including xrays to assess your oral health and create a custom treatment plan for your dental needs. Fortunately, when caught early, gingivitis can be reversed with treatment. Following your dentist's recommended schedule of professional dental cleanings and a proper daily oral hygiene routine will address your gingivitis and restore your gum health in most cases.
Failing to treat gingivitis in its early stages permits your gum disease to progress and spread to underlying tissue and bone, developing into periodontitis, a much more serious form of gum disease in which gums become inflamed and infected and pull away from the roots of your teeth which can lead to tooth loss. Furthermore, chronic inflammation in your gingiva has been shown to be linked to other serious medical conditions such as heart disease, respiratory disase, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes. Current research suggests that the bacteria responsible for periodontitis can enter your bloodstream through gum tissue and travel to and cause health problems in other parts of the body.
If your Fort Lauderdale dentist determines your gum disease has progressed to periodontitis, they will advise a "deep cleaning” to remove hardened plaque and bacteria below the gumline. The dental term for deep cleaning is periodontal scaling and root planning. During periodontal scaling your registered dental hygienist removes plaque and tarter from the teeth’s surface and gum pockets while root planning involves removing plaque and tarter from the surface of the tooth roots. This provides a better opportunity for the gum tissue to heal and firmly attach to the tooth roots. Dental deep cleaning are often performed over the course of multiple appointments and cost more than your regular dental prophylaxis due to extensiveness of the cleaning. Following your periodontal scaling, you will need to have periodontal maintenance every 3 to 4 months to maintain the health of your teeth and gums.
Dr. Nancy Rotroff and Dr. Gerard Wasselle at Excellence in Dentistry in Fort Lauderdale are here to partner with you for your best oral health. If you experience bleeding gums, or any other oral health issue, call our office at 954-928-1666 to schedule an appointment to be seen. Our office is conveniently located at 2480 E. Commercial Blvd and our dental team is here for all of your dental needs.
