Gingivitis gum disease causes the gums to swell and bleed easily. They bleed when you brush, bleed when you floss and often bleed when you eat things. The blood comes out of the gums because of the extensive inflammation due to infection. There are lots and lots of bacteria living in your gingival tissues and they want to take over. Fortunately, when you remove the bacteria, the infection goes away and so does the inflammation and bleeding. This is the basis of gingivitis treatment.

          Gingivitis gum disease also causes the gums to look red and swollen. It's not very pretty and can ruin a beautiful smile. There are some cases that are caused by underlying medical problems that should be investigated. Likewise, constant gingival inflammation allows bacteria to enter into the blood. This can then lead to heart attack, stroke or low birthweight baby.

          The treatment of gingivitis gum disease is usually a scaling and root planing procedure to remove all of the calculus and plaque both above and below the gum line. This has to be done under anaesthesia or the pain can be unbearable. In acute cases with bad swelling and pain, tetracycline 500 mg is usually prescribed to help kill off some of the offending bacteria. A gingivitis antibiotic is appropriate only if the swelling and pain is severe.

          Fortunately, gingivitis gum disease only involves the gums and the underlying bone is okay. If left untreated, it can possibly progress on to harm the bone and develop on to a more serious form of periodontal disease. The dentists of the Atlanta Dental Group PC are dedicated to their patients' good health and well being. We provide gum disease treatments and you are welcome to join our family of patients. If you wish to consult with Dr. Padolsky, call 404-874-7428. It's your first step in insuring that you have a healthy, happy life.