Liberty Family Dental is one of the few dentists in the area accepting Medicaid so if you are new to dental coverage and now have it via the ACA, welcome! Too many people have gone without dental coverage for too long and we are proud to be taking part in improving the dental health of Texas! If you are still waiting to be seen or for you coverage to kick in but are concerned about your dental health we have some basic information to help you. This blog and the next will cover gum health. There are two main gum issues dentists see and treat: gingivitis and periodontitis. There are important differences and easy things you can do to help gingivitis progressing to periodontitis.

The health of your gums directly affects the health of your teeth and vice versa, If you notice that there is a spot or two that bleeds when you brush your teeth you are likely in the early stages of gingivitis. Gingivitis is the inflammation of the gums and is caused by a buildup of plaque near the gum line. The plaque irritates the gum and causes inflammation. If this is in it’s early stages there are things you can do to stop it from progressing. First, make sure you are flossing every day. It is easy to skip a day here and there but if your gums are bleeding, it’s time to crack down and do it. You need to make sure you are brushing well after every meal too. Another thing you can do is to rinse daily with salt water to discourage infection. The best thing you can do is to arrange for a dental cleaning to get the plaque off your gum line- this is ultimately what will end the irritation.

Book Appointment to find out which treatment might be best for you.