{"id":209,"date":"2019-12-19T16:11:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-19T16:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifetime.dental\/blog\/?p=209"},"modified":"2019-12-31T16:11:39","modified_gmt":"2019-12-31T16:11:39","slug":"can-gum-disease-be-cured","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifetime.dental\/blog\/2019\/12\/19\/can-gum-disease-be-cured\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Gum Disease Be Cured?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"confused<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve been busy preparing for the holiday season, so you\nhaven\u2019t been flossing as much as you should have. Your gums have been bleeding\na little every time you brush. Are these two things related? As it turns out,\nyes. Not flossing can increase your risk for gum disease<\/a>, a\ndangerous condition that is assumed to affect up to 80% of the population. Once\nyou have gum disease, can it be cured? Read on as we explore that question and\nmore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is Gum Disease?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is a bacterial\ninfection in the gum tissue. If your gums are sore, tender, red, or bleed when\nyou brush and floss, you might have the beginning stage of gum disease, known\nas gingivitis. If gingivitis progresses to the second stage, called periodontitis,\nbacteria start attacking the structures that keep your teeth anchored in place.\nIn fact, gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss in the United\nStates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Does Gum Disease Develop?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Periodontal disease is caused by bacteria in dental plaque,\nwhich is a sticky, colorless film of bacteria that forms constantly on your\nteeth. Daily brushing and flossing can disrupt plaque, but if you neglect your\noral hygiene, plaque hardens into a substance called tartar. Only a dentist or\ndental hygienist can remove tartar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gingivitis manifests as bleeding gums, persistent bad\nbreath, and tender or sore gums. Periodontitis, however, causes more serious\ndamage. At this point, bacteria in plaque and tartar have begun destroying your\ngum tissue. This may result in your teeth becoming loose or even falling out! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can Gum Disease Be Cured?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While gingivitis can be treated with an increased oral\nhygiene regimen at home, and possibly a dental cleaning, periodontitis is a bit\nmore complicated to treat. However, it is possible. There are a few different\nmethods that your dentist can employ, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scaling and Root Planing <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Scaling involves removing bacteria from underneath the\ngumline. Root planing entails smoothing the rough surfaces of the tooth roots\nto make it more difficult for bacteria to stick to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antibiotic Therapy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your dentist may apply a topical antibiotic to your gum\ntissue, and\/or prescribe an oral antibiotic to help your body fight off the\ninfection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

DNA Therapy <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, traditional approaches to gum disease treatment\nsimply don\u2019t work. If so, your dentist can perform a DNA test using a sample of\nyour saliva. This test will determine whether you are genetically predisposed\nto having gum disease. It also lets your dental team know what specific strains\nof bacteria must be addressed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, can gum disease be cured? Yes. However, when it comes to\ndental problems, an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure. Practice\nexcellent oral hygiene to keep your teeth and gums disease-free! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Author <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dr.\nFrank Michitti<\/a> is a graduate of the Ohio State University College of\nDentistry. He has also been recognized as a \u201cTop 1% Dentist\u201d for achieving\nMastership status with the prestigious Academy of General Dentistry. This means\nyou can rest assured that he cares about knowing the latest techniques and best\npractices in modern dentistry. His practice also offers several forms of periodontal\ntherapy to help treat gum disease. If you think you may have periodontal\ndisease, you can contact\nDr. Michitti<\/a> at (413) 786-4400. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve been busy preparing for the holiday season, so you haven\u2019t been flossing as much as you should have. Your gums have been bleeding a little every time you brush. Are these two things related? As it turns out, yes. Not flossing can increase your risk for gum disease, a dangerous condition that is assumed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nGum Disease | Can Gum Disease Be Cured | Dr. Frank Michitti<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If your gums bleed when you brush or floss, you might have gum disease. What exactly is it? Can it be cured? 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