Fact: Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in the United States.

Fact: The Centers for Disease Control recently issue a report that indicated that nearly half (47.2 percent) of American adults 30 and older have some form of gum disease.

Fact: The CDC also reported that 70.1 percent of adults 65 and older have periodontal disease.

Fact: The office of Denise DiBona, DDS, will do everything we can to help you fight or treat your gum disease.

That includes hiring an experienced periodontist to join our dentist office in Red Bank, NJ. We want to tell you more about him and more about gum disease in today’s post.

Dr. Gluck

Dr. Kenneth Gluck is the newest dentist to join our team. He is a New York native and a graduate of New Jersey Dental School. After completing his dental degree, he served as the chief resident at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in the periodontal department.

In addition to being a board-certified periodontist, Dr. Gluck is a diplomate with the American Board of Periodontology. He also serves as a part-time associate clinical professor at the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine.

We know some of you are wondering what a periodontist does.

A periodontist is a dental specialist who focuses on preventing, diagnosing, and treating gum disease in addition to the placement of dental implants.

Dr. Gluck will be available every month to help patients with periodontal care, surgery, extractions, and bone grafts.

Dr. DiBona noted that adds to the many services that we provide in one convenient location for all our patients.

Signs Of Gum Disease

If you read the introduction of this post, then you are aware that gum disease is both a serious oral health issue and one that is far too common in the United States.

This is something we look for every time a patient visits us for routine care. We want to identify periodontal problems as soon as we can. Early treatment is the most effective way to remove the infection next to preventing it completely.

By now, you may be wondering how you can tell if you may have gum disease. Be aware of any of the following issues:

▷ Gums the bleed

▷ Gums that look redder than usual

▷ Gums that appear swollen

▷ Gums that feel sore or tender

▷ Gums that are receding (pulling away) from your teeth

▷ Teeth that feel loose in their sockets

▷ Bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth that won’t go away

▷ Pus leaking from your gums

Bleeding gums are never a good thing, but they can be an early warning sign that you have mild gum disease (gingivitis) if your gums bleed when you brush or floss your teeth. If your gums are bleeding at other times, then you may have periodontitis, a more advanced disease.

Periodontal Treatment

The right treatment will depend on the severity of your condition.

With gingivitis, you may be able to reverse your condition by doing the things you should already be doing to prevent gum disease (and tooth decay). Namely, you should be brushing your teeth twice per day and flossing between your teeth and below your gumline every day.

Yes, you need to floss every day, although ADA surveys show that less than half of Americans actually do. That might explain the gum disease statistics noted at the top of this post.

For more advanced periodontal treatment, you will need to visit a dentist office (like ours in Red Bank, NJ) to remove the infections from your gums.

There are several steps we can take to help you.

One might be scaling and root planing, which is a procedure to remove bacteria, plaque, and tartar that has built up around the roots of your teeth.

We may recommend an oral rinse with chlorhexidine to help treat gingivitis, or we may prescribe Arestin®, which is an antibiotic that can kill the bacteria causing your infection and prevent the infection from recurring.

Prevention Remains The Best Defense Against Periodontal Problems

Whether you have gum disease or you don’t, you should be taking steps to fight it and prevent it. This starts at home with your daily brushing and flossing habits. It continues with routine visits to the office of Denise DiBona, DDS, for cleanings and examinations.

To schedule an appointment, fill out our online form or call 732-945-5343 to reach our office, which has been named one of New Jersey’s top practices for three consecutive years.