Chicago Gum Disease Services

Dr. Fisher and his dental team take great pride in preventing and treating dental diseases. The Chicago Gum Disease Dentists can help you fix and care for your teeth.

Beginning with the initial visit to Dr. Fisher’s office he will evaluate the current health of your teeth and gums as well as steer you down a path of simple maintenance habits to ensure tooth and gum health.

Gums protect and support your teeth and the tissue that holds them to the bone. When your gums aren’t healthy, you risk losing those teeth — and damaging your overall health.

Periodontal Diseases

“Gum disease usually starts in areas that you’re not brushing or keeping clean. Bacteria build up in a film on your teeth and you get a reaction to that bacteria inflammation.

Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that clings to the teeth and gums. Even if you brush and clean your teeth every day, you may not completely remove the plaque, especially around the gum line.

The bacteria in plaque create toxins that injure the gums and underlying bones . Over time these toxins can destroy the gum and bone tissue.

Inflammation, or swelling of the gums (also known as gingivitis), can be one of the first warning signs of gum disease. Other symptoms include:

gum redness
bleeding while brushing or flossing
receding gum line
loose teeth
constant bad breath
mouth sores

Pain isn’t one of the first symptoms of gingivitis. What’s unique about early gum disease is that it doesn’t cause much discomfort at all.

So you really have to pay attention to these other symptoms. Plaque that is not removed in 24 to 48 hours hardens into a rough, porous deposit called tartar.

Once tartar develops the only way to remove it is by having your teeth cleaned at a dental office.

Tartar that builds up below the gum line makes it more difficult to remove the plaque film which can lead to chronic inflammation and infection. If you schedule a regular dental check-up, your dentist can detect developing the periodontal disease before the gums and bone supporting your teeth are irreversibly damaged .

Chicago Gum Disease Dentist Larry A. Fisher

If you don’t treat gingivitis, gum problems can get worse. Infection and inflammation will spread deeper into the tissues that support the tooth. “When that happens, the inflammation can threaten tooth health!

The gums begin to pull away from the teeth, which lets in more bacteria. At this stage, gum disease is called periodontal disease. This causes the tissues and bone that support the teeth to break down, This creates pockets where bacteria can grow.

“As you lose bone, your teeth get looser and looser, and eventually, they fall out,” he says. What’s more, oral health affects your whole body’s health. Studies have shown that people with gum disease are more likely to get heart disease and less able to control their blood sugar.