Gum disease leads to heart disease? Yes, it can. Nasty bacteria that makes your gums sensitive and swollen can cross into your bloodstream, hurt your arteries and cause inflammation in your heart!
Gingivitis — sensitive, swollen gums that bleed easily — is the first stage of gum disease. Bleeding while brushing or flossing is a sign of gum disease and means that your gums are not healthy. The good news? Getting dental cleanings can help stop gingivitis before it does permanent damage.
Without treatment, your gums will pull away from your teeth, forming pockets. Plaque loves to party in dental pockets which can quickly become infected. Bacteria and your body’s attempt to fight them can break down the bone and ligaments that hold your teeth in.
Your teeth will become loose as gum disease progresses. Left unchecked, your teeth may be become so loose that we have to remove them. Or, they may fall out on their own.
Gum disease is bad stuff, but it can be treated. The earlier you start, the happier your teeth, and your overall health, will be.
We use a process called scaling and root planning to remove plaque and tartar below the gumline.
Learn about scaling and root planing
Once you develop gum disease, it never completely goes away. You can treat it and help your gums recover with daily, in-home periodontic treatments like GüMX Defender Plus+™.
Learn about GüMX Defender Plus+™
Nothing beats preventing gum disease before it happens. Regular visits to the dentist can help keep plaque and tartar in check, so you don’t develop gum disease.
Schedule a check-up
Gum disease can progress from the minor bleeding and swelling of gingivitis to deep infections that attack the ligaments and bones that hold your teeth in place. If you have any of the signs or symptoms in this video, please schedule a visit. The health of your teeth and your heart are both at stake.
Make an appointment
If you experience any of these symptoms call us for an appointment. Your teeth, and your health, depend on stopping gum disease before it does more damage.