When we think of the dentist, we think of our teeth. But holding every successful tooth are your gums, the often unsung heroes of your mouth. That’s why your local general or family dentist will take care with each visit to closely examine and clean your gums as well as your teeth. Unfortunately, this is often the oral cleaning item that causes the most discomfort for patients, but we do it because it really is necessary. Without healthy and clean gums, bacteria can build up at the root of your teeth, causing pain and decay. Healthy gums also reduce sensitivity by covering and protecting the more sensitive areas of your teeth. So how does a dentist help keep your gums healthy? Here are a couple ways.

Gum Measuring – Catching the Signs Early

On a regular basis (often yearly), your dental hygienist will take measurements of your gums at your regular appointment. Taking measurements and comparing them to previous records is one of the best tools that dentists have to spot the early signs of gum disease, recession, and more.

Gum measurements can even give an indication of your overall health, as the condition of your gums can be linked to heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. While your dentist will not diagnose you with any of these conditions, they may be able to spot it early through your gums!

If you’re curious about what’s happening in your mouth, ask your dentist about these key words: attachment, probing depths, bleeding, and cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) measurements.

A Note on Brushing Technique

In between visits, it’s important to remember to use a soft-bristle brush and move your brush in a small circular motion – don’t scrub! More pressure may sound good for your teeth, but it’s bad for your gums and can cause them to recede. Electric toothbrushes really shine in this area, so consider the investment if you don’t think you can change your brushing habits on your own.

Deep Gum Cleaning – A Possible Route to Avoid Surgery

When you think deep cleaning, you might think of vacuuming behind and under the furniture in your house, or removing your pots and pans to give your shelves a dusting. In some cases, a similar activity may be called for in order to rebuild the health of your gums.

Gum deep cleaning involves two things: gum scaling and root planing. These procedures involve getting between the gum and the root of your teeth where bacteria have taken up residence, causing decay and perhaps even the exposure of bone. During your time in the chair, your dentist will remove infected areas and actually smooth down the root of the necessary teeth. This allows for your gums to better attach to the tooth and eliminate any of the separation that was causing issues.

As you can imagine, this procedure is not something to be done lightly thinking it will make your mouth feel better to be that much cleaner. Gum deep cleaning is an involved procedure which takes about a week to fully heal from. It is a procedure that likely requires local anesthetic and possibly a few trips to the dentist’s office.

That said, deep gum cleaning may be the best option to help your teeth and gums recover from serious oral diseases so you can avoid surgery and the need for dental implants. Of course, talk with your dentist if you think you may need this procedure to learn more about the risks and benefits.

If you’re in the Gresham area, we’d love to have you in!

When it comes to questions about the health of your gums, it’s best not to wait. Schedule an appointment with our general and family dentistry team by clicking Contact or call now: 503-665-8283.