Gum Disease Specialist
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Eastpointe Family Dental Center
General & Cosmetic Dentistry & Orthodontics located in Eastpointe, MI
Gum disease may not have any symptoms, but if you don’t catch it in time, you may lose your teeth or suffer serious consequences such as systemic infection and heart disease. Dr. Mark Solway of Eastpointe Family Dental Center in Eastpointe, Michigan, checks you carefully for signs of gum disease during each oral examination. Dr. Solway and Eastpointe periodontist Dr. Aaron Zeevi provide treatments to reverse disease and repair your gums. Teens, men, and women in the Eastpointe area can have their gums examined for signs of disease by calling Dr. Solway’s expert staff or by booking an appointment online.
Gum Disease Q & A
What’s gum disease?
Gum disease is a disorder of the soft pink tissue that surrounds your teeth and holds them in place.
The earliest stage of gum disease is gingivitis, which may have no symptoms. Gingivitis that’s not treated progresses to periodontitis, a serious infection that can lead to permanent tooth loss, heart disease, heart attacks, and sepsis.
How do I get gingivitis?
You get gingivitis after you've neglected your teeth by not brushing or flossing correctly. Bacteria from food particles collect in the gum pockets around your teeth, irritating and inflaming the tissue.
If you see blood on your toothbrush or dental floss, or if your gums are swollen, you may have gingivitis. However, you may not have any symptoms at all and still have gum disease. Dr. Solway always checks for gingivitis during your regular oral exams and cleanings.
How do you treat gingivitis?
You may be able to reverse gingivitis simply by adopting excellent oral-health habits. Brush after every meal and floss at least once a day. When these remedies don’t reverse your symptoms within a day or two, you should see Dr. Solway or Dr. Zeevi.
How can I tell if I have periodontitis?
Untreated, gingivitis develops into a gum infection known as periodontitis. About half of U.S. adults over the age of 30 have periodontitis.
Periodontitis can cause you to lose your teeth, lose bone, and cause your health to degrade in other ways.
The infection in your gum can circulate in your bloodstream, inducing a serious condition called sepsis. Plaque and infectious matter can even travel to your heart, causing heart disease and even heart attacks.
Symptoms of periodontitis include:
- Receding gums
- Detached gums
- Swollen, red gums or other oral soft tissues
- Painful gums or soft tissues
- Mouth sores
- Loose or “funny” feeling teeth
- Bad breath
- Bleeding while brushing or flossing
How can I treat periodontitis?
You can’t treat periodontitis yourself. Dr. Zeevi uses special tools to perform a procedure called planing and scaling.
He scrapes away all of the plaque from around your teeth, including the plaque that’s lodged deep under your gum line. He also reshapes your tooth roots, so that your gums can re-attach to them and keep your teeth stable.
Don’t risk the consequences of untreated gum disease: contact Dr. Solway or Dr. Zeevi for regular exams at the first sign of pain, or swollen or bleeding gums. Book the appointment yourself online, or call up the helpful Eastpointe staff.
