When most people thing of oral care they think merely of brushing the teeth. While tooth care is vital, people often overlook the importance of periodontal care. But what is this exactly? Periodontal means literally "around the tooth". Periodontics focuses primarily on the treatment of the tissues that surround the teeth, the gums. Good gum care is essential to good oral health much more so than most people seem to realize. Cavities are not the leading cause of tooth loss in adults, gum disease is. This helps illustrate just how important it is to take care of your gums.

       Periodontal care should be done properly. If it is not done properly it can actually do more harm than good. Brushing the gums as well as the teeth is important but if they are brushed too hard or if the brush itself is too hard it could cause the gums to bleed and to thin out. Nutrition is also an important part of gum care, as well as general health care. Smoking can cause damage to the gums as well. If the gums are not cared for properly an infection of the gums could occur, this is what periodontal disease is.

       Your dentist and hygienist are invaluable sources of information on good periodontal care. Regular visits to the dentist can help prevent gum disease or at least catch it at the early stages of Gingivitis. If it advances past gingivitis into Periodontitis then more serious measures will be required to reverse the effects of the disease. There are different methods of gum disease treatment, some of which involve surgery but gum disease prevention is the best thing for your oral health.

      If you would like to learn more periodontal care, please consider visiting us at the Atlanta Dental Group PC. Our Atlanta dental team has over 45 years of combined experience serving Atlanta's dental needs. Our dentists in Georgia are dedicated to their patients' good health and well being and you are more than welcome to join our family of patients. If you would like to schedule a free dental consultation appointment with our Atlanta Cosmetic Dentist, Dr. Mark Allan Padolsky, call to make an appointment at 404-874-7428.