When you see some blood in the sink after brushing, one of the worst things you can do is hope it goes away on its own. Bleeding after brushing is a major sign of gum disease. If not treated, gum disease can lead to some serious problems.

Call us today at 248-972-8720 and schedule a new appointment for gum disease treatment. Dr. Newingham has extensive training and experience in treating gum disease. Because, if you are not careful, you could end up losing some teeth.

What Is Gum Disease

Gum disease is caused by harmful bacteria. Everyone has them in their mouth. In fact, these same bacteria cause cavities and require root canals.

They survive by eating very tiny particles of stuff you eat and drink. Some always gets trapped in your mouth, but if you skip brushing or flossing, you’re giving those bacteria more to eat. As they grow, they give off an acid.
When this happens on your teeth, the acid creates tooth decay. When this happens on your gums, the acid creates gum disease. There are two stages to this.

  • The first stage is called gingivitis. It’s when the acid is irritating and just beginning to damage your gum tissue. Gingivitis is marked by bad breath (halitosis), bleeding after brushing, and gums that are tender, swollen, and dark.
  • The second stage is called periodontitis. It’s when the bacteria have gotten inside your gum tissue. Periodontitis is marked by receding gums and loose teeth.

That’s why gum disease cannot be ignored. You need to call our Birmingham, MI dental office today at 248-972-8720 if you have any signs of gum disease. Dr. Newingham has the expertise needed to help, but you need to call us first.

Serious Problems Caused By Gum Disease

Need another reason to not ignore those bleeding gums? Here are some other serious problems caused by untreated gum disease.

DARK OR BLACK GUMS

As those harmful bacteria hurt your gum tissue, your gums get very irritated. Like when your skin turns dark red after being rubbed too hard, your pinkish gums start to turn dark red. Soon enough, those cells start to die. This turns your gums a sickly black color. No, it’s not very attractive to see.

CHRONIC BAD BREATH

Another problem caused by those cells dying off is halitosis or bad breath. When you normally have bad breath, you can take care of it with some brushing, gum, or mints. Since the smell is literally coming from your gums, you can’t mask that.

INFLAMMATION AND INFECTIONS

Once those bacteria get inside your gum tissue, they cannot be permanently removed. Worse, they can get into your bloodstream. Once that happens, your immune system will do its best to fight the bacteria. But some will slip past and infect your body. This leads to problems with inflammation as your immune system constantly fights the infections.

LOST TEETH

When your gums are that damaged, they start to recede from your teeth. Plus, gum disease causes your jawbone to weaken. When you combine them together, it’s easy to see how your teeth can start to get loose. With untreated gum disease, your teeth can definitely fall out.

Gum Disease Treatment

Thankfully, these are not guaranteed. You can work with Dr. Newingham and get gum disease treatment from our Birmingham, MI dental office. Here’s specifically how you can get help.

ROOT PLANING AND SCALING

This deep cleansing treatment gently reaches below your gumline. It then removes the bacteria, plaque, and tartar that are irritating your gum tissue. Root planing and scaling are often used to treat gingivitis.

CARIFREE ANTIBACTERIAL RINSES

In addition, Dr. Newingham is trained to offer CariFree antibacterial rinses. This treatment targets the bacteria causing the problem. It even works on removing bacteria found in small pockets when your gums start to recede from your teeth.

Call us TODAY at 248-972-8720 or use our convenient online form to get gum disease treatment. Dr. Newingham has successfully treated gum disease for many years, giving him the experience needed to know how best to fight the bacteria. Instead of bleeding and dark gums, yours can be healthy again.