Improving your smile with cosmetic dentistry is a safe, effective way to get a gorgeous, glowing grin. But in order for your results to last, you need to have a healthy mouth first. If you are suffering from gum disease, you may not think it will affect your treatment. However, leaving dangerous oral health conditions untreated can not only shorten the life of your improvements, but it can also make your periodontal problems worse. Here’s a closer look at why gum disease therapy is so important before cosmetic dentistry, and how your dentist can help with both!
What is Gum Disease?
Gum disease is a bacterial infection of the periodontal tissue that can cause a variety of dangerous symptoms, including inflammation, redness, bleeding while brushing and flossing, receding gums, chronic bad breath, and potentially tooth loss. It typically begins as a result of poor oral hygiene but may also be exacerbated by medical conditions like diabetes, smoking, and even genetics.
How Do Dentist’s Treat Gum Disease?
How your dentist chooses to treat your gum disease depends on the severity of your condition, and your individual symptoms. However, the most common treatments include scaling and root planing (where your dentist removes the plaque and tartar from above and below the gumline) and laser periodontal therapy (which uses a soft-tissue laser to vaporize diseased periodontal tissue).
Why is it Important to Treat Gum Disease Before Cosmetic Dentistry?
Even if your cosmetic dentistry treatment doesn’t directly affect your gums, it is important to have a healthy mouth before beginning. That’s because your gums are the stabilizing ‘glue’ that holds your teeth in place. When they recede or become infected, it can make your teeth loose or reveal more of their structure than should be visible, such as their roots.
Say for example, you just invested in a beautiful new set of veneers. While they were designed to fit your teeth perfectly, if your gums recede, you’ll soon begin to see the line where the veneer ends and the tooth begins! Worse yet, if your tooth becomes so loose it falls out, those restorations will be lost, too!
Finally, it is important to note that treating an unhealthy mouth can make your gum disease worse, too. For instance, the powerful chemicals used in professional whitening can cause painful sensitivity if they touch your gums, which can be much worse if they’re infected. This could result in a longer healing period and even put you at a higher risk of developing a secondary infection during healing.
Next Steps
If you’re interested in learning more about your cosmetic dentistry options, it’s important to begin with a consultation with your dentist. At this appointment, you’ll get a dental exam and discuss your smile goals. Your dentist can then make recommendations for procedures that would help you achieve them, and if any oral health conditions like gum disease are present, formulate a treatment plan for that, too.
Remember, while it’s understandable to be eager to improve your smile with cosmetic dentistry, it is extremely important to have a healthy mouth first. So, take the first step and book a consultation with your dentist, and soon you’ll have a gorgeous grin that’s both healthy and beautiful!
About Our Practice
At Timeless Smiles Morgan Hill Orthodontics and Dental Practice, our trio of skilled and caring dentists wants to give you your healthiest, most beautiful smile yet! That’s why we’re proud to offer a full suite of cosmetic dentistry treatments, along with plenty of restorative ones, too! To learn more about how we can make your gorgeous grin strong and bright, schedule a consultation for cosmetic dentistry by visiting our website or calling 408-763-3008.