At Robison Family Dental, we love to be part of your overall healthcare team. We care about more than just your teeth. Oral health affects the rest of your body, so we make sure to include the whole body system when we plan treatments.
Gum disease and gingivitis affect about half of all American adults, often without visible symptoms. If left to develop, these problems can attack your teeth and gums and might allow harmful bacteria into your bloodstream.
Through our saliva testing service, we check for particular types of bacteria that can lead to gum disease and overall health issues.
How Do Certain Bacterial Species Lead to Gingivitis?
Around 700 species of bacteria live in the typical human mouth at any time. Many of them are helpful to our digestion and health, while others can cause disease.
The key is the balance between the two general categories of bacteria. If the balance tips toward the harmful type too far, you may experience tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss.
Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease. It is caused by harmful types of bacteria building up on your gums and teeth—sometimes even under your gums.
Gingivitis often causes immune reactions and symptoms that can include:
- Swollen, bleeding, and/or receding gums.
- A metallic taste in your mouth.
- Spaces between teeth.
- Bad breath.
Plus, bacteria can build up on your teeth as plaque and tartar, making your teeth hard to clean and leading to major tooth damage.
How Does Saliva Testing Work?
During a routine checkup, you can also have a saliva test. It is a quick and easy service. This is all that happens:
- You’ll swish a liquid in your mouth and then put it in a tube.
- We’ll send it to be tested in a lab.
- Technicians will look for signs of certain species of bacteria.
Our patients appreciate that we don’t have to sample tissue to do this testing. This test is easier than using a mouth rinse after brushing your teeth.
Dr. Robison has seen a strong connection between certain bacterial strains and gum disease. By screening you, we’ll know with 70% certainty or better whether or not those bacteria are getting out of control.
Early Detection of Gum Disease
Gum disease doesn’t start with visible symptoms. By detecting it before it reaches the visible stage, we can help you avoid tooth damage, bleeding gums, and more.
The risk of gum disease increases as we age—it’s one of the reasons that regular dental checkups are vital to your health.
Gum disease gradually progresses and gets worse. It starts with a buildup of bad bacteria on the gums, then gradually causes gums to swell up and even detach from the teeth.
So we’re excited to detect gum disease before this happens. It gives us the opportunity to clean your gums in a relatively painless, simple way, protecting your teeth and overall bodily health.
What Happens in Gum Disease Treatment?
Gum disease therapy can take a few different forms, depending on how much the condition has progressed. But in general, it can involve:
- Cleaning: Our team uses professional tools to clean bacterial buildups from your teeth.
- Scaling and Root Planing: Our team cleans the teeth below the gum line, preparing the teeth so the gums can reattach to the teeth.
- Laser Therapy: Using a dental laser, we can clean and reshape the gum tissues.
In some cases, Dr. Robison could recommend surgical interventions to repair the gums and other oral structures.
Quick and Easy Saliva Testing for Gum Disease in West Jordan
Remember, great oral hygiene habits practiced at home and regular dental checkups are key to preventing infections of the teeth and gums. By testing saliva for bacteria, we hope to help you avoid the need for gum therapy. Schedule a checkup and saliva testing for yourself or someone in your family. Call Robison Family Dental today.
