What Happens When Gingivitis Gets Worse?

Gingivitis is common, and while it can easily be prevented or controlled, it still becomes a serious threat to many patients’ oral and overall health. When left unchecked, it can quickly progress into more serious forms of gum disease, such as periodontitis – the leading cause of adult tooth loss. Because the signs of gingivitis can often go unnoticed at first, the condition and the damage it causes often grow more prominent by the time patients seek treatment. Today, we examine how this happens, and what steps you can take if you notice that your periodontal health is worsening.

Worsening Periodontal Health

As we’ve discussed previously, there are many different signs that could warn you of gingivitis’ presence. As the beginning stage of gum disease, the infection in your gums systematically destroys your gums and periodontal ligaments, resulting in redness, swelling, bleeding, bad breath, and more. As gingivitis grows worse, the effects of the infection on your gums become more significant, as does your risk of experiencing issues like tooth loss and increased systemic health complications.

How to Control It to Save Your Smile

The good news is that, once you or your dentist notices that you have gingivitis and it’s growing worse, you have many options for addressing it and saving your smile. With periodontal cleaning (also known as scaling and root planing) and specialized treatment, your periodontist can halt the disease’s progression to help you avoid more extensive complications. To ensure that your periodontal disease doesn’t progress any further, you may also need to schedule routine periodontal maintenance visits with your periodontist in addition to your routine dental checkups and cleanings.

Seek Treatment ASAP to Stop Your Gum Disease

If you fail to prevent gingivitis, then seek treatment as soon as possible to stop it from becoming a more serious threat to your oral health in the form of periodontitis. To learn more, schedule a consultation with Dr. Kania by calling her periodontal office in Encinitas/San Diego, CA, at (760) 642-0711.