Also known as periodontitis gum disease is rather dangerous. When not treated properly it can cause destruction of tissue surrounding tooth and its’ loss as a result. More common among adults but also occurs to children close to puberty. It’s difficult to define periodontal disease at an early stage as it is usually painless. The issue is caused by plaque, a sticky matrix of bacteria, constantly covering surface of our teeth.
Main characteristics of gum disease
These problems can also appear for other reasons, but should always be taken into account and considered by your dentist.
- Bleeding gums and permanent sores. Blood is usually seen during brushing or eating solid food.
- Persistent bad breath or unpleasant taste in your mouth.
- Loss or partial detachment of molars and receding of gums near them, forming small pockets around the tooth.
- Red, swollen or tender gums. Any changes in your mouth tissues that doesn’t tend to be temporary.
- Feeling pain or discomfort while biting.
- Any change in the fit of partial dentures
The signals are rather small but it’s better to react immediately. Visit our periodontist in Jacksonville as soon as possible if you’re currently experiencing any of these.
There have also been cases when periodontitis had no warning signs at all. That is another reason not to miss your dental check up.
Possible causes
There are several factors, that can lead to this kind of disease. They indicate at-risk groups and prevention strategies. These are:
- Poor oral hygiene. Daily brushing and regular in-office dental cleaning are common ways to get rid of the bacteria plaque. Remember, it’s not only frequency that matters, but also choice of brush and toothpaste and especially quality of your actions. Similar matter is existence of crooked teeth that are hard to clean well.
- Pregnancy. It’s a must to check in with your dentist when you’re expecting. Gum disease is confirmed to be linked with premature labour and low birth weight.
- Smoking or chewing tobacco. It is bad both for the look and health of your teeth. It also sometimes lead gums to turn black.
- Genetics. No one is safe from natural tendency to particular issues. But this can always be fixed by exercising caution and proper treatment.
- Diabetes and other major illnesses. Such patients are more vulnerable to different infections.
- Medications, including steroids, certain types of anti-epilepsy drugs, cancer therapy drugs, some calcium channel blockers and oral contraceptives.
Gum disease is usually preceded by gingivitis. It is an inflammation that is still reversible so to never reach the stage of periodontitis itself. Professional cleaning at dental office and following periodontist’s advice on brushing your teeth should be enough to prevent gingivitis from further progress.
Potential danger
If not treated properly periodontitis become more severe over time. It results in feeling your teeth really weak, like they move freely around your mouth. Sounds like a common problem of aged people, but this can happen at any age. Another trick of the issue is that gradual decay have different speed of progression.
Aggressive periodontitis is sometimes experienced by otherwise healthy patients and leads to rapid loss and tissue. That can affect a part of mouth or the whole oral cavity as well. As many other stomatological problems, periodontitis is often associated with systemic health conditions, including diabetes and stroke.
Way of cure depends on type and stage. For advanced issue that can include scraping the plaque and tartar, laser therapy, flap surgery and pocket reduction procedure. However, no matter how far the condition have progressed, proper dental care is an essential part of keeping the disease from further progress or recurring. It’s also a must while healing and recessions.
Periodontitis is a living nightmare, but all you have to do to keep it away is to brush your teeth twice a day, eat healthy and regularly visit your dentist no matter what. That’s an only cost of healthy smile.
on Mar 12, 2018