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Gingivitis certainly sounds like a scary disease. The name alone is terrifying. After discovering inflamed gums or bloody floss, you might be envisioning dramatic treatments with a month-long recovery time at least. Oh! The pain! The horror! The devastating impact on your schedule!
Let’s slow you down there, Shakespeare. Gingivitis is worthy of concern, but you’re not in dire straits. Yet. Keep reading for more details, as well as a more…realistic outlook on your recovery time.
Gingivitis is Early-Stage Gum Disease
The reason you can afford to calm down a bit is that gingivitis is an early form of gum disease. At this point, your gums are warning you that serious infection is imminent. The harmful bacteria stuck to your pearly whites are irritating, but not quite invading.
The reason you should still be wary is that gingivitis can turn into its much scarier cousin, periodontitis. Periodontitis is late-stage gum disease that has invaded your teeth and gums and is starting to cause decay. This is when you’re likely to develop loose teeth or lose them entirely!
You Don’t Need Surgery, You Need Clean Teeth
You likely won’t need surgery for gingivitis. But you will need a professional cleaning from your dentist, and you might need a deeper cleaning called a “scaling and root planing”.
More importantly, you’ll need to develop your own thorough dental cleaning routine. You might have developed gingivitis due to poor oral hygiene, or you might simply have unfavorable genetics. Either way, the only way to get gum disease out of your mouth is to scrub it out. In addition to brushing twice daily and flossing once per day, try these oral hygiene tricks:
- Use a water flosser for more efficient flossing
- Rinse your mouth with antibacterial mouthwash or warm water
- When you brush, keep it up for two minutes
- Pay special attention to hard-to-reach places
As always, make sure you’re also going to your dentist for a checkup and cleaning! They’re pros at dental maintenance, so you won’t want to miss your appointments.
How Long do I Have to Keep Up Gingivitis Care?
Honestly, it depends. There might be two major stages of gum disease, but going from gingivitis to periodontitis isn’t like flipping a switch and BAM! your teeth fall out. It’s more of a scale. Depending on where you’re at on the scale, your general oral health, and genetics, gingivitis recovery could take more or less time. However, it’s rare for recovery to resolve in fewer than two weeks, so you can expect at least that much.
If you’re in a rush to cure your gingivitis, that makes it even more important to stay in touch with your dentist. They’ll give you a professional cleaning, help send gingivitis packing, and give you tips for recovery. Your dentist can also assess your oral hygiene routine, and help you improve it so gum disease stays far away from your mouth!
About the Practice
Our team at Baltimore Dental Arts is compassionate and patient centered. Each of our dentists has a friendly nature and unique expertise that ensures quality, comfortable care. If gum disease is your concern, Dr. Melody Ward would be happy to consult with you and develop a treatment plan! To contact our office, call 410-372-0202. For more information, explore our website.