Gum disease and bad breath care are at the heart of what we do for our patients at Lac La Biche Smiles Dental. Gum disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss, and bad breath is almost always treatable once we find the source.
In this article
- What Causes Gum Disease?
- Symptoms and Early Warning Signs
- Our Approach to Gum Disease and Bad Breath Care
- Scaling and Root Planing: Deep Cleaning That Resets Your Gums
- What If Gum Disease Is Advanced?
- Gum Contouring, Reshape Your Smile and Improve Gum Health
- Bad Breath: Diagnosing and Treating Halitosis
- Prevention and Education: Protecting Your Gums and Overall Health
- Booking Your Visit and Insurance Information
Many people don’t realize that bleeding while brushing, persistent bad breath, or receding gums can all signal early gum disease, important early warnings you shouldn’t ignore. Gum disease can develop silently, only becoming obvious once it has progressed, but if we catch it early, it is completely reversible.
What Causes Gum Disease?
Gum disease usually starts as gingivitis, which appears as bleeding when you brush and slightly red or puffy gums. This stage of gum disease is reversible. If left untreated, gum disease advances to periodontitis, where bacteria settle deeper and the body’s response causes the bone holding your teeth to break down, while gums begin to recede. Periodontitis is the main cause of adult tooth loss in Canada and is also linked with heart disease, diabetes complications, stroke risk, and pregnancy outcomes.
Other factors that raise your risk can include dry mouth, decay, food trapped in fillings, and improper brushing techniques. Halitosis, or chronic bad breath, is almost always treatable once the true cause is identified, and about 85% of cases originate in the mouth.
Symptoms and Early Warning Signs
We encourage you not to ignore bleeding gums, persistent bad breath, or receding gumlines, these are all signs worth paying attention to. As gum disease moves silently, acting early can prevent tooth loss and other complications.
Our Approach to Gum Disease and Bad Breath Care
We treat the full spectrum of gum disease, from an initial scaling and root planing session all the way to long-term periodontal maintenance. Our services for gum disease and bad breath care include periodontal therapy, scaling and root planing, and halitosis treatment.
At your visit, we begin with a thorough periodontal exam. We measure gum-pocket depth at six points around every tooth, check for recession or mobility, and take X-rays to assess bone loss. Our next step is scaling and root planing, this is a deep cleaning performed under local anesthetic and sometimes divided into sections for your comfort.
Where gum pockets are very deep, we use targeted antimicrobials such as locally-delivered antibiotic gels or antibacterial rinses to help healing. For most patients with early to moderate gum disease, this approach halts progression and avoids the need for gum surgery.
Scaling and Root Planing: Deep Cleaning That Resets Your Gums
Scaling and root planing is our most powerful non-surgical tool against gum disease. While a regular cleaning removes plaque and tartar above the gumline, scaling and root planing goes below the gumline. It removes hardened bacterial deposits clinging to tooth roots and smooths the root surfaces so gums can reattach. This is done under local anesthetic so you stay comfortable, and most patients are back to normal eating within hours. We use a gentle vibrating ultrasonic instrument that flushes away tartar with warm water, far more comfortable than previous methods. Once your gums are stable, most people need maintenance cleanings every few months rather than repeat deep cleanings.
What If Gum Disease Is Advanced?
Most patients experience only mild soreness for a day or two after periodontal treatment or scaling and root planing. Early-stage gum disease (gingivitis) can be reversed completely, but with more advanced disease (periodontitis), while we can stop further progression, any bone loss already present is permanent.
Gum Contouring, Reshape Your Smile and Improve Gum Health
Besides treating disease, we offer gum contouring if you have uneven gums or a ‘gummy’ smile. This minimally-invasive treatment uses a precise dental laser to gently remove and reshape gum tissue, usually with little to no downtime. Gum contouring is often combined with other cosmetic treatments or done on its own, and it can also make oral hygiene easier in some cases.
Bad Breath: Diagnosing and Treating Halitosis
Bad breath, halitosis, affects up to one in four adults and is nearly always treatable because the cause is usually in the mouth. Common causes include sulphur-producing bacteria on the tongue, gum disease, cavities, dry mouth, or food trapped around old fillings. Sometimes, sinus issues, acid reflux, certain medications, or systemic conditions like diabetes play a role.
Our process starts with a detailed exam, where we assess your gums, teeth, tongue, saliva flow, and bite, and ask about medication, diet, and symptoms. Treatment includes professional cleaning of your tongue and deep cleaning of affected areas. When we treat the underlying cause, most patients notice their breath is much fresher within a week or as the gums finish healing.
Prevention and Education: Protecting Your Gums and Overall Health
We believe patient education is a key part of our gum disease and bad breath care. We help you understand risk factors and prevention strategies, and support you in maintaining good habits at home. Poor gum health can affect more than your mouth, there are links to chronic inflammation and other health issues.
Booking Your Visit and Insurance Information
If you have concerns about your gum health, bad breath, or want to learn more about our gum disease and bad breath care, reach out to us. Our clinic is located at 10263 101 Ave, Lac La Biche, AB, and you can call us at 780-623-2040. We welcome new and existing patients and offer direct billing with insurance options.
Our goal is to help you keep your gums healthy, your breath fresh, and your smile strong. Book your visit today so we can help you address gum disease at every stage and give you the support you need to maintain your oral health.
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Same-day emergencies, CDCP accepted, direct insurance billing.