What is gingivitis?
Gingivitis is the inflammation of your gums, the soft tissue around your teeth. It occurs when there's a buildup of either food or plaque, which is essentially bacteria in your mouth.
How is gingivitis different from periodontitis?
Periodontitis also affects the soft tissue around your teeth, the gums, but it also affects the things that are underneath your gums like the bone and all of the supporting tissue that holds your teeth in the mouth. When patients have periodontitis, they actually start to lose the bony support that holds your teeth all around.
What are the symptoms of gingivitis?
When people first start to get gingivitis, they may experience bleeding or swollen or painful gums. They may also have bad breath and some pain around the gums when brushing.
Is gingivitis dangerous?
Gingivitis is dangerous only as much as it's a warning sign of things to come. Thankfully, gingivitis is reversible and can be cured and treated.
How can you treat gingivitis?
The best and easiest form of treatment for gingivitis is to simply get a dental cleaning. This can be done by your dentist or by a hygienist, and it usually involves the removal of food and buildup, whether that's either plaque, which is kind of soft and sticky, or calculus, which is a little bit harder. Gingivitis can usually resolve within a couple weeks with proper dental cleaning and good follow-up cleaning at home.
What should you do if you suspect you have gingivitis?
If you suspect that you have gingivitis, we usually recommend that our patients come in and get checked out and treated as soon as possible.
How can I contact you for further questions or to schedule an appointment?
If you have further questions or if you're ready to take action, please call our office at (916) 848-2145. We're here to help.