Any area of your body can get an infection, but one in your mouth can be uncomfortable and painful. With any infection, it’s important that you get treatment as soon as possible to prevent any further complications such as periodontal disease. Being able to identify the warning signs of a gum infection will help you get the proper treatment and prevent any more risk factors. We’ll walk you through what the most common gum infection symptoms are along with what the typical course of action is for treating a gum infection.

Gum infection symptoms

While you may be great at brushing your teeth, it’s common to often neglect cleaning the gum line as well. This is where an infection can start in your gum tissue. Identifying the symptoms and warning signs of an infection is important to get you on the road to recovery. Here are some of the most common symptoms to look out for if you think you could have a gum infection:

• Swollen, tender, or bleeding gums
• Persistent bad breath 
• Tooth loss
• Receding gums
• Pus coming out of gums

If you are experiencing and suffering from any of the symptoms listed above, you should contact your dental professional to receive a gum infection treatment. It’s critical that you contact your dentist immediately to prevent any of your symptoms from escalating and getting worse.

Gum infection treatment

Once you’ve talked to your dentist and you have been diagnosed with a gum infection, it will be time to start treatment for your gums and teeth. There are many different treatment options for you depending on how severe your infection is at the time. Here are some of the most common treatment options for your gum infection:

• Antibiotics: The first course of action to heal any infection is to get on antibiotics. Your dentist will likely prescribe you a series of antibiotic pills to take in order to get rid of your infection entirely. This is the most common treatment for mild cases that haven’t reached a severe level yet.
• Root planing: For more severe cases, a root planing treatment may also be recommended to deep clean between your teeth and gums. This professional cleaning works well to effectively remove any build-up.
• Gingivectomy: This gum treatment involves removing some of the gum that has an infection.

Home remedies for prevention

Once you’ve been able to get your gum infection under control, it’s important to take preventive measures to ensure you don’t get another infection. There are many different things you can do at home to help prevent any future problems. Some of the most common home remedies to improve your oral health include:

• Saltwater rinse: Salt is known to be a natural disinfectant. By mixing salt with warm water and swishing for 30 seconds, can help keep your gums clean and infection-free.
• Regular brushing and flossing: This may seem like an obvious habit to have but there are many people who forget to do both of these things on a regular basis. Flossing especially will help remove any food particles that can become lodged in between your teeth.
• Hydrogen peroxide: By mixing equal parts of water and a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, you can help in treating gum disease, lessen the chances for your gums to bleed when brushing, and prevent extra plaque buildup.
• Use an anti-gingivitis mouthwash: By using this mouthwash, you can further help to prevent gum disease or any infection.

If you’re experiencing any gum infection symptoms, contact our office today. Our trusted staff can provide you with treatment to help with the infection and create a plan to prevent further infections.