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Gum Disease 101: Preventing and Treating Oral Health’s Silent Threat

Oral health isn’t just about having straight or white teeth – your gum health is just as important. Think of your gums as the foundations of your teeth. Like houses and buildings, teeth can’t be strong if they’re built on weak foundations. That’s why taking care of our gums is super, super important; otherwise, we’re at an increased risk of gum disease.

In this post, Victorian Dental Group explains gum disease 101, and outlines how we prevent and treat this oral health problem.

What is gum disease?

Gum disease is a condition which causes damage to the gums and subsequently the teeth that they house. It can cause damage to the bone structures that hold teeth, causing them to become loose and painful, and possibly requiring them to be removed if left untreated.

What causes gum disease?

Gum disease is primarily caused by plaque build-up on teeth and along the gum line. Plaque contains bacteria which your immune system tries to fight with an inflammation response, leading to redness and swelling of the gum.

Stages of gum disease

There are two stages of gum disease: gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis is early gum disease which affects the surface layers of the gum and is characterised by bleeding gums, especially when brushing, and redness or swelling of the gum. Periodontitis is advanced gum disease which affects the cementum (covering of the tooth root), the bone and the fibres that connect to the tooth root.

How to prevent gum disease

The best ways to prevent gum disease is to follow typical professional dental advice on oral hygiene and diet. This includes:

How we treat gum disease

Treatment of gum disease may be done by a dental hygienist, dentist or periodontist. Treatment methods for early gum disease include:

Advanced gum disease may be treated by:

If you’re concerned about gum disease, it’s best to make an appointment with the team at Victorian Dental Group. Our Experienced team of dentists are highly experienced in diagnosing and treating gum disease, quickly and effectively helping to stop the condition from becoming worse. As one of Melbourne’s leading dental clinic, we have a strong focus on meticulous dental work and patient care. Contact our Malvern clinic to make an appointment today.

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The clinic will be closed from Thursday 2nd April 2026, and will reopen on Tuesday 7th April 2026. Online booking remains available for scheduling appointments.

Victorian Dental Group will be closed for annual maintenance on 3rd and 4th of October. Online booking remains active and our team will be available from Monday 7th October. 

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