Periodontal CareAt Dental Expressions we strive to educate our patients because the best way to know anything is by teaching it to others. Periodontitis, which is known as gum disease, is a medical condition that begins with the growth of bacteria in your mouth and will damage the tissue that surrounds your teeth. You Could Have Gum Disease Or GingivitisIf you have gingivitis that means you have inflammation caused by an overgrowth of dental plaque or a bacterial infection. When you forget to brush, floss, and use mouthwash, a plaque film made up of bacteria and food builds up around your teeth. As this happens, acids released by plaque will damage your tooth enamel and cause decay. It will take 72 hours for any plaque in your mouth to harden and become tartar. This will cause inflammation in your gums and then cause gingivitis. It is important to know that gingivitis can precede periodontitis, but not all gingivitis leads to gum disease. Also, know that this infection is common, and you may get gingivitis at some point in your life. The symptoms of gingivitis are sensitive, red, swollen, and bleeding gums that can even be bruised. Your symptoms of gingivitis may be mild and easy to ignore, however, if you do that it may cause the issue to turn into a bigger problem. Gum Disease Causes Tooth LossWith gum disease, the inner layer of the gums and bones in your mouth will pull away from the teeth and begin to form pockets. These pockets will provide a space for infection. Allowing plaque to continue to grow beneath your gum line and spread, your body's immune system will begin to attack the bacteria. The toxins produced by the bacteria combined with the enzymes involved in fighting infection will begin to break down the tissue surrounding your teeth. When the disease progresses, the pockets will grow deeper and more of your tissue and bone will be destroyed. As this happens your teeth become loose because your teeth will no longer be anchored in place in your gums. This disease is a main reason for tooth loss in adults. Gum Disease Is Caused By Poor Dental HealthExperiencing hormonal changes can cause gum disease by making your gums sensitive and making it easier for you to develop gingivitis. Hormonal changes like puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause, may make your gums sensitive but be sure to keep up with your dental health despite this. When you have an illness that affects your immune system it affects your oral health too. Conditions such as diabetes will impede the use of blood sugar in your body causing you to be at a higher risk of developing an infection like gum disease. The development of gingivitis can also happen if you have a family history of dental disease. Gum Disease Can Be TreatedWhen your dental health goes by the wayside, try to get back on track so that your condition does not get to the point where it is too late. In order to prevent or even reverse gum disease, you can do so by brushing and flossing your teeth. Visit our dentist every six months to have your teeth cleaned and we can improve your dental health even further. Our dental practice provides professional dental cleaning and deep cleaning; these are known as scaling and are the only non-surgical treatments. If your gum disease is past this stage we can treat you with pocket reduction surgery, bone surgery, and guided tissue regeneration. Allow our dentists at Dental Expressions to be your trusted care provider. Our professionals are skilled with the best and most sensitive treatment. Call us now for consulting at (971) 353-4448 . |