Gum disease is a widespread but damaging dental problem. It affects more than just your gums. Gum disease begins when harmful bacteria builds up between teeth and on the gum tissue. This buildup first irritates and inflames the gums, then causes gum recession, loose teeth, and even tooth loss.
Gum disease doesn’t have to be permanent. Dr. Rebecca Benedict helps Tampa patients restore their oral health through personalized periodontal treatment. As part of our restorative dental care, gum therapy goes beyond surface-level fixes to:
- Stop gum disease progression before it causes tooth loss
- Reduce inflammation and bleeding for comfortable gums
- Protect your smile’s foundation by eliminating harmful bacteria
Whether you need a deep cleaning or more advanced care, we’ll create a treatment plan to renew your gum health and preserve your teeth. Don’t ignore tender or bleeding gums. Early treatment leads to better outcomes. Schedule your periodontal evaluation today.
Signs of Gum Disease
While gum disease begins with gum inflammation, harmful bacteria can quickly affect the teeth and gums. This bacteria builds up to form plaque, a film covering teeth and gums. Without treatment, plaque hardens to form calculus, irritates and inflames the gum tissue, causes gum sensitivity and more.
We will examine your teeth and gums at regular dental checkups for signs of tooth decay and gum disease. Common symptoms of gum disease we will look for include:
- Bleeding gums
- Red and purple gums
- Bad breath (halitosis)
- Swollen gum tissue
- Pus between the teeth and gums
- Receding gums
- Loose teeth
Please contact our Tampa dental practice if you notice any of these symptoms. Gum disease can begin with bleeding gums and quickly turn into gum recession if you don’t address it in time.
Stages of Gum Disease
Knowing the stages of gum disease can help you understand what treatment to expect as gum disease progresses. The stages of gum disease include:
- Gingivitis: Also known as gum inflammation, gingivitis is the only reversible stage of gum disease. You will notice bleeding gums and irritated gum tissue when brushing your teeth at this stage. Brushing and flossing twice daily will help prevent inflammation from developing into gum disease. We will also recommend that you visit our office for a deep cleaning.
- Mild Periodontitis: As gingivitis becomes gum disease, you will notice gum pockets as the gums detach from teeth. Harmful bacteria can harden to form tartar. You will need scaling and root planing to remove bacteria from the gums and tooth roots.
- Moderate Periodontitis: As gum pockets deepen, bacteria damage the ligaments that support your teeth and gums. Only professional dental treatment can keep moderate gum disease in check. We often recommend that you visit our office more than two times a year for regular deep gum cleanings.
- Advanced Periodontitis: This is the final stage of gum disease. Large gum pockets will expose the tooth roots as the infection breaks down the gum tissue. You may also experience tooth loss due to deep gum pockets. Only oral surgery can restore your teeth and gums if you have advanced gum disease.
Periodontal Disease Treatment in Tampa, FL
In-office cleanings remove decay-causing bacteria from the gums that you can’t remove at home. Depending on the extent of your gum disease, we may recommend one of the following treatments.
More Deep Dental Cleanings
A prophylaxis cleaning removes plaque and calculus from the teeth and gums with stainless steel dental tools. We offer this cleaning at routine appointments to help prevent gum disease. First, we scale the teeth. This part of the cleaning process is critical for patients with gum disease.
Scaling removes plaque and calculus above and below the gum line. Then, we floss between each tooth and polish the teeth for a natural shine.
Gum Cleaning
Scaling and root planing treatment removes plaque and calculus from the crown and root. This is a therapeutic, not prophylactic (preventative) treatment. As with a routine cleaning, we remove bacteria with scaling treatment. Then, during root planing, we smooth the tooth roots. Root planing ensures that the teeth don’t separate from the gums.
We also offer Oraqix, a needle-free anesthetic for SRP treatment. This ensures you don’t feel any pain during this cleaning.
WaterLase Cleaning
We can also treat infected gum tissue with a dental laser. The Waterlase laser offers a comfortable alternative to traditional surgical tools. This dental laser can clean the gum pockets and heal soft and hard tissue. This removes hard calculus from the smile. Calculus is a hard bacterial buildup that is hard to remove at home. With a laser, we can easily remove plaque and tartar from the gums.
Compared to traditional dental tools, lasers like the Waterlase are much quieter. With water and heat, the Waterlase laser can precisely treat the gums without affecting the other tissues.
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Factors that Contribute to Gum Disease
Some medical conditions and even lifestyle choices can increase your chance of developing gum disease. Some conditions tied to gum disease include the following.
Diabetes
High blood sugar increases sugar in the saliva. Sugars and starches in the mouth attract harmful bacteria that cause gum disease. As bacteria feed on the sugars and starches, they produce digestive acids that break down the gum tissue. If you have diabetes, keeping your blood pressure low can reduce your risk of gum disease.
Heart Problems
When you develop gum disease, harmful bacteria inflame the gums. As inflammation from gum disease enters the blood vessels, it can affect different body parts. If you have heart problems and develop gum disease, you will likely experience increased heart issues.
Smoking
Tobacco products contain nicotine, which restricts the blood vessels. This makes it difficult for your gums to heal properly if you develop gum disease.
Using tobacco can also increase your chance of developing dry mouth. Dry mouth occurs when you don’t have enough saliva in the mouth. Saliva helps wash away food debris and bacteria. Harmful bacteria thrive in this dry environment. As a result, smokers often encounter gum problems.
Pregnancy
Hormonal changes during pregnancy can lead to gum disease. Increased levels of the hormone progesterone can lead to gum sensitivity. Pregnant women can often notice problems like bleeding gum when they brush their teeth.
While some patients may think they can’t see the dentist when pregnant, visiting the dentist for routine care is safe. We recommend that you visit our office for deep cleaning if you’re pregnant and notice sensitive and bleeding gums. Visiting our office for a cleaning will prevent gum inflammation from becoming gum disease.
Address Your Gum Health Today
Are you noticing signs of gum inflammation or gum disease? Schedule an appointment with Dr. Benedict online. You can also call Dr. Benedict at 813-733-6981 to set up a visit. Tell us if you have any concerns about your gums or questions about gum disease treatment. We’re here to help you.