Gum disease is a bacterial infection of the tissue and bone supporting your teeth. It starts as gingivitis, red, bleeding gums that are fully reversible, and progresses to periodontitis, which quietly destroys bone and is the leading cause of adult tooth loss. SEDA Dental’s periodontists treat every stage, from deep cleanings to surgery.
Bleeding when brushing or flossing, puffy or tender gums, persistent bad breath, receding gum lines, and loose or shifting teeth, if any of these sound familiar, your gums are asking for attention. Nearly half of adults over 30 have some form of it, most without knowing.
Treatment depends on stage: a professional cleaning for early disease, scaling and root planing for established infection, and gum grafting where recession has followed. Teeth already lost to gum disease can be replaced with implants once the infection is controlled.
Periodontal treatment is medically necessary care, and most PPO dental plans cover much of it. We verify your benefits first and put the full plan in writing. CareCredit and the SEDA Smile Membership Plan keep uninsured patients covered too.
Gum disease is managed, not cured, and the management is boring in the best way: brush twice daily along the gum line, floss or water-floss every day, and keep your three-to-four-month maintenance cleanings without fail.
Smoking is gum disease’s best friend; quitting is the single biggest gift you can give your gums. We track your pocket depths at every visit, so you always know exactly where you stand.
No. Healthy gums do not bleed. Bleeding is the earliest, most ignorable sign of gum disease, and the easiest stage to fix.
Gingivitis, yes, completely. Periodontitis is controlled rather than cured: treatment stops the damage, and maintenance keeps it stopped.
Very often, yes. The bacteria in gum pockets produce persistent odor that mouthwash only masks. Treating the infection treats the breath.
Susceptibility does. If your parents lost teeth young, tell us, you may benefit from closer monitoring even with good habits.
Home care prevents it and maintains results, but it cannot remove tartar below the gum line. That takes professional instruments, there is no rinse that does it.
It progresses painlessly. Pockets deepen, bone dissolves, teeth loosen, and by the time it hurts, options have narrowed. Early treatment is simpler, cheaper, and keeps your teeth.
