The first step in gingivitis treatment is a professional dental cleaning. Talk about your problem with the dentist and renew your commitment to regular brushing and flossing. In many cases, that's all that is needed. Gingivitis is due to a collection of unremoved food around the gums. It gets worse when there's an underlying medical problem or when a woman is pregnant.

          Some patients have such an accumulation that scaling and root planing is needed to get it all. After thi cleaned up, a regular cleaning may all that is needed. Unfortunately, most patients are stuck with the idea that they only need one dental cleaning every six months, but this is not necessarily true. Many patients with a tendency toward developing gum problems need more gingivitis treatment. If a patient has tendency toward getting gum disease, even with good home care, having a cleaning every three or four months is a good idea.

          Periomed is a home fluoride that kills the bacteria that cause gingivitis. It's a great home gingivitis treatment. We suggest that our patients not follow the instructions on the bottle but instead, place some Periomed on a dry tooth brush and brush it into the gums before going to bed. Mouth washes can help. In addition to commercial mouthwashes like Listerine or Scope, you can rinse with peroxide or salt water. It's not a bad idea to brush your tongue so that the bacteria that cause gingivitis stop jumping from the tongue to the gums and back.

          The dentists of the Atlanta Dental Group PC are dedicated to their patients' good health and well being. If you need gingivitis treatment, you are welcome to join our family of patients. If you wish to visit with Dr. Padolsky, call 404-874-7428. It's your first step in insuring that you have a healthy, happy life.