Many people tend to focus on having strong and beautiful teeth, but that’s only half of your smile. A great smile and a healthy mouth requires that your gums cover just the right amount of your teeth. Receding gums can lead to a host of problems including tooth decay and gum disease. Plus, gums that aren’t positioned properly detract from your smile. Now, Dr. John Argeros in Peabody, MA can reposition your receding gums in as little as one appointment!
When Good Gums Go Bad
Gum tissue is normally pink and firm, closely surrounding the teeth. When gum disease begins, the tissue become irritated, swollen, and change color to dark red or even purple. Your gums may bleed easily when you brush or floss.
This early stage of gum disease is known as gingivitis, and it’s almost always easily treated by a thorough dental cleaning that includes scaling and root planing to remove all traces of dental plaque from your mouth.
However, untreated gum disease always gets worse. Pockets of infection can form below the gum line. The gums begin to retreat from the teeth as the inflammation gets worse. Untreated gum disease can actually lead to tooth loss, and the infection can contribute to or cause a host of health problems elsewhere in the body.
The traditional approach to treating advanced gum disease often required surgery to remove infected tissue followed by grafting tissue to restore the gums. In some cases, those procedures may still be necessary. For everyone else, there are much faster, easier, and less painful ways to correct gum problems.
Forget The Gum Surgery “Horror Stories”
Today’s modern dentistry has come a very long way in the treatment of gum disease and repositioning receding gums.
Many patients with gum advanced disease can be successfully treated with laser therapy rather than a scalpel. Laser treatment is faster, more comfortable, reduces bleeding, and allow quicker healing times.
People whose gums have receded can benefit from a technique nicknamed “the lunchtime gum lift.” The Chao Pinhole® Surgical Technique is very quick, allows multiple areas to be treated in a single session, results in minimal discomfort, and allows for very fast healing.
Your dentist will first thoroughly numb the areas to be treated and then make tiny pinholes in the gums. Using a special tool, the gums will be gently lifted back into place to restore a great-looking gum line and protect your teeth as they should.
There are no sutures required, and the vast majority of people find that over-the-counter pain relievers are enough to manage any discomfort after the procedure.
Help Your Gums Help You
If your gums have receded, or if you’re noticing changes in your gums, bleeding when you brush or floss, or a chronic bad breath, you may be experiencing gum disease. The worst thing you can do is to try to tough it out or wait for the problem to go away. It won’t, and time lost can equal teeth lost if you wait too long.
Take action now by calling Dr. John Argeros at Contemporary Dentistry and Implantology in Peabody, MA at 978-278-1760.