Statistics from the According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that approximately 50% of American adults suffer from some type of gum disease. One of the most notable diseases that individuals experience is gingivitis. Dr. Kenneth Egger, D.D.S., has extensive experience helping people who suffer from their condition improve their oral health with gingivitis treatment.

What Is Gingivitis Treatment?

Gingivitis treatment is designed to control the infection in a person’s gum and restore health to their teeth and gums. Several treatment options may be available, depending on the severity of the condition.

Prophylactic Cleaning

A biannual dental cleaning is the perfect way to remove tartar and plaque buildup on your teeth. Your dental hygienist will be able to point out problem areas and help clean places you may need help to reach.

Scaling

When patients have a lot of tartar buildup under their gums, the next step is a scaling procedure. This procedure involves scraping the tartar off. Dentists will typically use metal dental tools to ensure a thorough cleaning is performed. If you feel uncomfortable during the process, topical anesthetics can be used to numb your gums.

Root Planing

This procedure is performed to eliminate any tiny grooves and pits in your teeth that provide bacteria with the perfect place to generate plaque. Removing these trouble areas by creating a nice, smooth surface for the roots of your teeth ensures your gums are able to adhere tighter and prevent bacteria from entering below the surface.

Why You Should Not Neglect Gingivitis

If you do not treat gingivitis, it can result in significant inflammation that turns into periodontitis. This severe gum disease can lead to an array of health problems and tooth loss. This makes it essential to reach out to our team right away to explore the options available for your gingivitis treatment.

Call Now to Schedule an Appointment

Dr. Kenneth Egger, D.D.S., has extensive experience helping individuals improve their oral health by providing trusted and effective gingivitis treatment. If you are interested in seeing how Dr. Egger can help you, contact us today at 989-773-3560 or use the online form to request an appointment.

Keeping your oral health in tip-top shape is a big priority for a lot of people. However, things get past us, and mistakes are bound to happen. Unfortunately, when it comes to oral health, this can lead to gingivitis. Gingivitis is the inflammation, irritation, and swelling of the gums. This can lead to pain, bleeding, bad breath, receding gums, tender gums, and sensitivity. So what exactly are the causes of gingivitis? Let’s take a closer look at those causes so you know when to consider gingivitis treatment.

Causes of Gingivitis

Plaque

This is one of the most common causes of gingivitis, and it’s why oral hygiene is so important to prevent gingivitis. Plaque build-up can eventually harden into tartar and solidify underneath your gums. This increases irritation to the gums from bacteria activity. This irritation leads to gingivitis and more severe conditions if left untreated.

Tobacco and Substance Use

Gingivitis is caused by irritation to the gums. Smoking and substance use can pollute and irritate the mouth leading to gingivitis. It is proven that smokers have a substantially higher risk of developing gingivitis and gum disease than non-smokers.

Hormonal Issues

Hormonal imbalances are detrimental to oral health and can lead to gum irritation and gingivitis. This is especially common in women who are menstruating, pregnant, going through menopause, or taking oral contraceptives.

Crooked or Deformed Teeth

Unfortunately, having misshapen teeth can be frustrating in many ways. People with crooked teeth are more likely to develop gingivitis because it is more difficult to clean all areas of their teeth. When teeth aren’t properly cleaned, a buildup of plaque will irritate the gums and cause gingivitis.

Taking Care of Gingivitis

Gingivitis can be a frustrating and painful experience that can lead to further complications. You may be concerned that you’re predisposed to gingivitis due to family history, hormonal shifts, or misshapen teeth. All of these factors are why preventative care is so important to dental health. Dr. Kenneth Egger provides preventative dental care and gingivitis treatment.

So whether you’re worried about having gingivitis or already are struggling with it, Dr. Egger can help. With over 28 years of experience in dental care, Dr. Egger brings experience and compassion to your dental needs. So if you’re ready to tackle gingivitis head-on, contact Dr. Egger’s team at 989-773-3560 today.

Although Mt. Pleasant is a long way from Madison Avenue in every way, we’re all still victims of advertising. Take the word “gingivitis,” for instance. Everyone has heard the word, thanks to Listerine’s hefty yearly advertising budget. It sounds scary.

The question is, what is gingivitis? Since we don’t want our patients to develop gingivitis, here’s a primer from Dr. Egger.

What is gingivitis?

Despite its serious name, gingivitis is nothing more than gum inflammation. Plaque is the main irritant of the gums. Plaque is the film that forms on the teeth throughout the day consisting of bacteria, bacterial waste products, food residue, and saliva. When you brush and floss you remove the plaque. Then it starts to rebuild, only to be removed again when you brush. But if you neglect your oral hygiene the plaque can develop beneath the gumline, where it is very irritating to your gums. If allowed to stay there, the plaque hardens into tartar, causing more persistent irritation. While the term “irritation” sounds innocent enough, if this irritation is allowed to continue and progress, it leads to gum disease, clinically known as periodontitis.

What are the signs of gingivitis?

Gum inflammation is simple to identify if you pay attention to your gums every day while brushing and flossing. There are some signs Dr. Egger wants you to watch for:

• Changes in gum color — Your gums should be evenly pink like a wad of Double Bubble Gum. Look for bright red patches and shiny areas along the gum lines. These indicate plaque or tartar buildup underneath the gums. This is an early sign of gum irritation.
• Changes in gum feel — Healthy gums are moist to the touch and have a slightly bumpy surface. The edges taper down to lie flat against your teeth, forming a nice seal that keeps out bacteria. Inflamed gums are puffy and may roll away from the tooth surface slightly. They often feel smooth, dry, and soft with you press a finger on them.
• Changes in gum shape — Gums should be scalloped along the edge that lies against your teeth. They should cover up about the same amount of root on each tooth and appear symmetrical on both sides of your mouth. More advanced gingivitis causes your gums to recede and pull away from your teeth. This exposes more of the tooth root, making your teeth look longer or misshapen.
• Changes in mouth odor — Gum inflammation and bad breath go together like Lake Superior and frigid water. Bad breath is caused by the buildup of plaque and bacteria left in your mouth haphazard brushing and absent flossing.
• Changes in spit — If you see blood when you rinse after brushing or flossing, that’s a sign of gum problems. They shouldn’t bleed.

The good thing about gingivitis is how easy it is to avoid with good daily brushing and flossing and coming to see us every six months for your professional cleaning and exam. Is it time for your next appointment? Give us a call at (989) 773-3560 to schedule your appointment.

Gingivitis. Most of us have heard the word thanks to those Listerine commercials that have run on the airwaves forever. It sounds scary — perfect for a copywriter to write about. But what is this mysterious thing you call gingivitis and why do I care?

Dr. Egger isn’t scared of gingivitis, but he wants you to be, at least a little bit.

What is gingivitis?

Yeah, it sounds pretty much life and death, but gingivitis is actually nothing more than gum inflammation. Plaque is the main irritant of your gums. Plaque is the film that forms on the teeth throughout the day consisting of bacteria, bacterial waste products, food residue, and saliva. When you brush and floss you remove the plaque. Then it starts to rebuild, only to be removed again when you brush. Think Groundhog Day. If you get sloppy with your home dental care the plaque can develop beneath the gumline, where it is very irritating to your gums. If allowed to stay there, the plaque hardens into tartar, causing more persistent irritation. While the term “irritation” sounds innocent enough, if this irritation is allowed to continue and progress, it leads to gum disease, clinically known as periodontitis.

How does gingivitis show itself?

Gum irritation is easy to spot. Your gums should be like a flamingo in the Everglades, nice and pink. Any bright red patches show irritation. Your gums should also pretend they’re a halibut and lie flat…against the teeth; inflamed gums tend to recede and pull away from the teeth. Your gums will also be prone to bleeding and this shouldn’t normally happen if you’re using a soft toothbrush. Bleeding is a sign of inflammation. And finally, as in the commercials, your breath will reek. The commercials get this part right — your bad breath is caused by bacteria that is being left to its own devices by your poor oral hygiene.

Gingivitis treatments

To keep your gums healthy and keep gingivitis at bay, it all starts with good home hygiene. Beyond that, these are the treatments:

• Prophylactic cleaning

Twice-yearly cleanings with Dr. Egger and our team are the first step. Why twice a year? That generally is the time it takes to start forming tartar and other issues that lead to decay. During these cleanings and checkups, not only will those problem areas receive a thorough cleaning, but we will also point them out to you for more attentive care at home.

• Scaling

If you have a fair amount of tartar built up under your gumline, it can only be removed with dental tools. This is called scaling.

• Root planing

In root planing, tiny grooves or pits are removed from the tooth roots to make it easier for the gums to adhere and stop receding.

So, don’t be a victim of advertising. You can fight gingivitis without calling some mouthwash to rescue you! If you wonder if your gums are hating life, call Dr. Egger at (989) 773-3560 and let’s talk.

Be Nice to Your Gums for the New Year

This time of year everyone has a New Year’s resolution. Lose weight. Exercise more. Call your brother/sister more often. Watch more SpongeBob. Work on your short game.

Dr. Egger has one for you. Be nice to your gums.

That sounds simple enough, but you’d be amazed at the way a large percentage of the population abuses their gums and overall oral health. The end of that road is not pretty — gum disease and falling out teeth.

But it’s such a shame, because virtually all gum disease is preventable. It just takes good oral hygiene at home and regular twice-yearly visits to Dr. Egger for professional cleanings and exams.

Just so you know, it all starts with a fancy term, gingivitis.

What is gingivitis?

Just the word gingivitis sounds ominous, maybe even life threatening. In actuality, gingivitis is nothing more than gum inflammation. The main irritant of the gums is plaque. You know the stuff — it’s the film that forms on the teeth throughout the day consisting of bacteria, bacterial waste products, food residue, and saliva. When you brush and floss your main goal is to remove the plaque. As soon as you do, it starts to rebuild, only to be removed again when you brush. It’s the classic cat and mouse story, ongoing every day. If you get lazy with your oral hygiene the plaque sets up residence and soon moves down beneath the gumline. There it is very irritating to your gums. If allowed to stay, the plaque hardens into tartar, causing more persistent irritation. While the term “irritation” sounds innocent enough, if this irritation is allowed to continue and progress, it leads to gum disease, clinically known as periodontitis.

How do you know?

What are the signs of gingivitis? Gum irritation is easy to spot. Your gums should be pink all over; any bright red patches show irritation. Your gums should also lie flat against the teeth. This is a telltale later sign, as your inflamed gums tend to recede and pull away from the teeth. At this point, your gums will also be prone to bleeding; this shouldn’t happen if you’re using a soft toothbrush. Bleeding is a sign of inflammation. Finally, your breath will reek. Bacteria that are being left to run free by your poor oral hygiene cause your bad breath.

Treating the G-word

Keeping your gums healthy and keeping gingivitis at bay all comes down to home hygiene. But if you lose focus, then it’s up to Dr. Egger to take over. He’ll use these treatments to reverse gingivitis before it progresses to gum disease.

• Prophylactic cleaning
  The first step is to be diligent about twice-yearly cleanings with our office. This is called prophylactic cleaning. Why twice a year? That generally is the time it takes to start forming tartar and other issues that lead to decay. At these times, not only will we thoroughly clean and get your mouth back to a better condition, but we’ll give you a heads up about the issues before they become worse.
• Scaling
  If tartar has moved in like that uncle who can’t keep a job and has taken residence under your gumline, Dr. Egger will scrape it off with dental tools. This is called scaling, and depending how much we have to do, we may give you a local anesthesia.
• Root planing
  An even more involved procedure is root planing, where Dr. Egger removes any tiny grooves or pits from your tooth roots to make it easier for the gums to adhere back down to the teeth. This is done in multiple appointments with local anesthesia.

These procedures are important because we can keep gingivitis from becoming periodontitis, commonly known as gum disease. And you do not want to hear that word.

So be nice to your gums for the New Year, and they’ll be nice to you. Is it time for your next cleaning and exam with Dr. Egger? Call us at (989) 773-3560 to make your appointment.

Don’t Irritate Your Gums

Gingivitis.

If you were on Jeopardy and that was the “answer” that came up, would you know the answer? Remember, your answer must come in the form of a question.

“Uh, what is a fungus that grows on golf course greens, Alex?”

Bzzzzzzzzt. Hopefully you didn’t wager everything!

Yes, while most of us have heard the word gingivitis — mainly thanks to Listerine’s large advertising budget — few know what this scary-sounding word actually means.

Ready? Irritated gums. Doesn’t quite fit the word, does it?

Since Dr. Egger deals with the aftermath of gingivitis, gum disease, here’s some information on how your gums become irritated and why it matters for your oral health.

Gingivitis, beyond its scary name

While its name does sound ominous, the term gingivitis simply means gum inflammation. And, like pesky mosquitoes to your summertime camping in the U.P., plaque is the main irritant of the gums. Plaque is the film that forms on the teeth throughout the day consisting of bacteria, bacterial waste products, food residue, and saliva.

When you brush and floss you remove the plaque. Then it starts to rebuild, only to be removed again when you brush. But if you neglect your oral hygiene the plaque can build and move beneath the gumline, where it is very irritating to your gums. If allowed to stay there, the plaque hardens into tartar, causing more persistent irritation. And this is where things get dicey. Because while the term “irritation” sounds innocent enough, if this irritation is allowed to continue and progress, it leads to gum disease, clinically known as periodontitis. And while periodontitis may not sound as ominous as gingivitis, it is far worse.

What are signs of gingivitis?

How do you know that your gums are not happy with you? Irritation is easy to spot. Your gums should be pink all over, like a wad of bubble gum in the Tigers’ dugout. Any bright red patches show irritation. Your gums should also lie flat against the teeth; inflamed gums tend to recede and pull away from the teeth. Your gums will also be prone to bleeding and this shouldn’t normally happen if you’re using a soft toothbrush. Bleeding is a sign of inflammation. And finally, as in the commercials, your breath will reek. The commercials get this part right — your bad breath is caused by bacteria that is being left to its own devices by your poor oral hygiene.

Gingivitis treatments

There are various ways Dr. Egger can deal with your gum problems. First are your twice-yearly professional cleanings. The reason for the six-month interval is because that’s about the time it takes for tartar to build up and think about moving under your gumline. Procedures such as root scaling and planing are next, but you don’t want those if you can avoid them.

Is it time for your next exam and cleaning so we can be vigilant about your gum health? Call Dr. Egger at (989) 773-3560 to make your appointment.

Gingivitis. We’ve covered that in this little old blog of Dr. Egger’s before. But it’s always good to stay on top of gingivitis so that it doesn’t turn into full-on gum disease.

Here are the signs to watch for, along with how Dr. Egger beats up on gingivitis, not unlike the Hulk could beat up on Spiderman if he made fun of the color green.

Symptoms of gingivitis

As we’ve said before, gingivitis is an ad man’s dream. The term sounds scary. But all gingivitis means is “gum irritation.” Ooh. Let us run into the dark woods in fear!

Still, signs of gingivitis are signs that you need to pick up your home hygiene because plaque is making its way under your gums and probably is turning into tartar. That’s the road to gum disease.

Here are the signs of gingivitis:

• Changes in color— Gums should be like a big fat wad of Double Bubble Gum, nice and bright pink. They shouldn’t be red or shiny along the gum line. These signs indicate plaque or tartar has built up underneath the gums.
• Changes in feel— Healthy gums are moist to the touch and have a slightly bumpy surface. The edges taper down to lie flat against your teeth, forming the seal that keeps out bacteria. Inflamed gums are puffy and may be pulling away from the teeth. They may feel smooth, dry, and soft.
• Changes in shape— Gums should be scalloped along the edge that lies against the teeth. They should cover a symmetrical amount of the tooth roots on both sides of your mouth. When the gums start to pull away from the teeth, more of the tooth root is exposed, and this makes your teeth look longer and misshapen.
• Changes in odor— Bad breath and gingivitis go together like Dolly Parton and silicone. Plaque that you’ve left in your mouth with lackadaisical brushing and flossing is flourishing, and bad breath is the byproduct.
• Changes in spit— Your gums shouldn’t bleed. If you’re using a soft toothbrush and brushing the gums along with the teeth, there’s no reason for the little pink devils to bleed. If they bleed, the gums are telling you to wake up and take better care of them because they’re getting inflamed.

Beating down gingivitis

Dr. Egger is like the Hulk when it comes to beating up on gingivitis. Although we’ll cover the details in another blog, Dr. Egger uses root scaling, root planing, and prophylactic cleaning to show gingivitis who’s the boss.

Is it time for your next cleaning and exam? Call Dr. Egger at 989-773-3560 to make your appointment.

Catching Gingivitis Early is the Key

The difference between gingivitis and periodontitis can be compared metaphorically to the difference between running a 5K or a marathon. The 5K is pretty easy; the marathon not.

At Dr. Egger’s practice, we take care of gingivitis, helping keep it from becoming periodontitis. This starts with home hygiene but then encompasses various treatments in our office.

What causes gingivitis?

Gingivitis sounds really serious, but all it actually means is “gum inflammation.” Plaque is the main irritant. It is a biofilm made up of oral bacteria, bacterial waste products, food residue, and saliva. Plaque sticks to your teeth as Kim Kardashian sticks to Twitter, but it’s easy to remove when you brush and floss. However, when you get lax with your hygiene the plaque quickly builds up. This is irritating to your gums. If the plaque is left to its own devices, it hardens into tartar, which is even more irritating to your gums.

How you’ll know it’s gingivitis

Gingivitis is easy to spot. Here’s what to look for.

• Changes in color — Your gums should be pink all over, like a tasty piece of Double Bubble gum. Any bright red patches or shiny areas along the gum line are a sign of plaque buildup below the gums.
• Changes in feel — Healthy gums are moist to the touch and have a slightly bumpy surface. The edges taper down to lie flat against your teeth, forming a seal that keeps out bacteria. Inflamed gums are puffy and may pull away from the tooth surface. They may feel smooth, dry, and soft if you push on your gums.
• Changes in shape — Gums should be scalloped along the edge that lies against the teeth. They should cover up about the same amount of root on each tooth and appear symmetrical on both sides of your mouth. More advanced gingivitis causes your gums to recede and pull away from your teeth. This exposes more of the tooth root making your teeth look longer or misshapen.
• Changes in odor — Bad breath is a common symptom of gingivitis, caused by the plaque you’re letting have free reign in your mouth.
• Changes in spit — When you rinse your mouth and spit in the sink, the water shouldn’t be pink with some blood in it. This means your gums are inflamed. They may not even hurt, but bleeding is a sign of gingivitis.

If you see any of these signs of gingivitis, Dr. Egger needs to see you before it starts to turn into gum disease. Call us at 989-773-3560 to schedule your appointment.

Gingivitis Isn’t Just for Redheads

Gingivitis is a fancy word. Really, many words that end in “itis” can be deemed to be fancy. In this case the fanciness is undeserved. Why?

Because gingivitis simply means gum inflammation. See, “gingivitis” seems a little overwrought now, doesn’t it?

But despite its fancy name, gingivitis isn’t really any big deal IF you take steps to remedy it. If you don’t, full on gum disease could be paying you a visit.

Symptoms of gingivitis

Dr. Egger is on a first-name basis with gingivitis, since patients come in with it every day. But you don’t have to be. Here are the common symptoms that your gums are inflamed.

Changes in color — Your gums should be the color of a piece of Double Bubble. Look for bright red patches and shiny area along the gum line. Those are signs of irritation.

Changes in feel — Healthy gums are moist to the touch and have a slightly bumpy surface. The edges should taper down to lie flat against the teeth, providing a seal against bacteria from getting under them. Inflamed gums are puffy and may be pulling away from the teeth.

Changes in shape — Your gums should be scalloped along the edges that lie against your teeth. They should cover the same amount of the tooth root on each tooth and both sides should look symmetrical when looking at your overall mouth. Advanced gingivitis makes your gums recede and pull away from your teeth. This exposure can make your teeth look longer and misshapen, and the changes can be permanent.

Changes in odor — Bad breath is not due to the garlic burger you ate for lunch. True, prevalent bad breath is caused by bacteria having its way in your mouth. This is a sign that plaque is building up on your teeth due to less than diligent brushing and flossing at home.

Changes in spit — Bleeding gums are unhappy gums, and you want your gums to be happy, don’t you? If you rinse your mouth and notice blood in your spit, that means your gums are bleeding. This is a sign of inflammation.

If you have any of the symptoms listed above, you need to do two things: step up your home hygiene, and call Dr. Egger for an appointment, 989-773-3560, before things get ugly.

Do You Have Gingivitis?

Gingivitis is one of the most familiar words in all of dentistry, probably due to the size of the Listerine ad budget year in and year out. Problem is, most people have no idea what it actually is.

Here is the Cliff Notes, version. Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums, usually involving bacteria that are working their way below the gumline.

So, how do you know if you have gingivitis? Here are the signs to watch for.

Changes in color

Your gums should be a rich pink color all over. Bright red patches, shiny areas along the gum line. Those are no bueno because they indicate tartar buildup underneath the gums.

Changes in feel

Healthy gums are moist to the touch and are slightly bumpy. Healthy gum edges taper down and lie flat against the teeth, forming a seal to keep out bacteria and food particles. In contrast, inflamed gums are puffy and may lift away from the tooth surface. They may feel smooth, dry, and soft.

Changes in shape

Your gums should be scalloped on each tooth along that edge that lies flat against the tooth. They should cover the same amount of root on each tooth and should be symmetrical from side to side. Advanced gingivitis causes your gums to recede and pull away from the teeth. This makes the teeth look longer.

Changes in odor

Bad breath, Listerine’s claim to fame as an eradicator of said, is a common symptom of gingivitis. This comes from the bacteria-laden plaque that is left in your mouth by poor home hygiene. This bad breath is a sign that bacteria are having a party in your mouth, and gingivitis is invited.

Changes in spit

Bleeding gums are not normal. Sure, sometimes when you floss there may be a little blood, but that shouldn’t be a regular occurrence. Bleeding gums are inflamed gums and inflamed gums have gingivitis.

If you have any of these signs of gingivitis, it’s time to see Dr. Egger before the issues become worse, and possibly, permanent. Call us to set up an appointment, 989-773-3560.