Skip to main content

How Gum Disease Develops

How Gum Disease  Develops


Gum disease begins when tartar buildup and bacteria beneath the gums cause infection, which is essentially an overgrowth of bacteria. The gums become inflamed, irritated and swollen as your body tries to fight the infection brewing below the gum line.  Plaque becomes more difficult to remove because it hides in pockets which form between tooth and gum.  As the gum disease advances, the infection eventually causes bone damage to occur and can lead to the loss of a tooth and sometimes, multiple teeth.

The Stages of Gum Disease 
  • Gingivitis- This is the mildest form of gum disease.   The gums may become inflamed, causing the space between gum and tooth to deepen, forming a pocket that is difficult to keep clean.  Gums may become red and swollen, or may bleed when probed.  Sometimes no symptoms exist at all and often goes unnoticed.  Gingivitis can often be controlled and some of the damage can be reversed with regular professional dental cleanings and routine brushing and flossing.  Left untreated, however, gingivitis can quickly progress into gum disease (periodontitis).

  • Periodontitis- Periodontitis is characterized by the gingivitis infection and inflammation having spread to the bone supporting the teeth.  This is often followed by the break down of the periodontal ligaments and the recession (shrinking back) of the gums.  Pockets begin to deepen and, at this point, are almost impossible to keep clean with routine homecare.  Redness, swelling and bleeding will most likely develop or get worse. The infection begins to cause deterioration of the bone surrounding your teeth as the bacteria from the periodontal infection multiply. Teeth may start to feel loose at this point due to the loss of bone that is occurring. 
  • Advanced Periodontitis - As gum disease advances, pockets get even deeper and may be pus-filled.  The gums may start to swell around the roots of the teeth and bone loss continues.  Symptoms of advanced gum disease may include sensitive to heat or cold and pain while brushing.  Teeth may really begin to feel loose due to the ongoing loss of bone and ligament.   In some cases, teeth may need to be removed to keep periodontal disease from spreading.
Gum disease is a chronic infection, which means there is no "cure".  The symptoms can be controlled and some of the damage can be reversed by having treatment with a gum disease specialist (periodontist).  In many cases, less advanced infections can be controlled by a procedure called scaling and root planing which is performed by a hygienist and will feel to you like a very deep, thorough cleaning.  Often, an antibiotic is placed in the deeper pockets during this procedure.  Your periodontist will probably recommend four professional cleaning per year after any periodontal treatment.  More advanced cases may require either traditional surgical procedures to reduce the gum pockets or laser gum therapy.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Apple Invents a new Health feature for AirPods that will provide diagnosis & monitoring of Bruxism

Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that relates to a possible future health related feature regarding the diagnosis and monitoring of bruxism using motion sensors in AirPods. Teeth grinding and jaw clenching (bruxism) are the most common parafunctional behavior manifested during sleep and awakeness. Awake bruxism has been mostly associated with emotions like anxiety, stress, frustration or tension. During sleep it causes sleep disorders and arousals. Individuals are mostly unaware of the occurrent and severity of their bruxing habits. The unawareness results in a myriad of orofacial muscle pain and dental consequences like teeth damage, wear and fractures. Commercial devices in dental practice to monitor and treat bruxism are expensive, inconvenient for frequent daily use. For instance, Polysomnography (PSG) studies that target the monitoring of sleep bruxism, require patients to sleep in a clinical setting overnight. Further,
Post a Comment
Read more

Esthetic Oral Rehabilitation with Veneers

Porcelain veneers had long been considered to be only an esthetic solution. However, their range of indications has been steadily increasing, making ceramic veneers a highly viable alternative to classic, far more invasive forms of restorative treatment. Today, veneers can be used to handle esthetics (discolored teeth, fractured and worn teeth, diastemas, dental defects, etc.) and to restore the biomechanics of the dentition, as well as many other indications. Classifications of Veneer Preparations Referred to as no, minimal, or conventional preparation, veneer classifications—or lack there of—create a large gray zone of misunderstanding and miscommunication with patients and within the dental profession. Left unanswered, questions regarding tooth structure removal, finish lines and margins, and other aspects can cause confusion in practice. Flaws and inaccuracies in previously proposed preparation guidelines make those guidelines irrelevant . To dissolve uncertainty, this v
Post a Comment
Read more

Orthodontics for Esthetic Dental Treatment: Symbiotic Efforts for Optimal Results

Human fascination with beauty and esthetic trends is continuously evolving; moreover, public awareness and desire to improve facial appearances are at the highest level. This trend of heightened public awareness and expectation is paving a new way of dentistry toward a more comprehensive approach with esthetic principles at its core. The oral health of the patient and his or her dentition are fundamental in dental treatment. However, the final esthetic outcome should be among the first steps in treatment planning. The ideal esthetic approach in dental treatment planning often requires a multidisciplinary approach engaging various dental professionals. This process requires thorough communication among dental practitioners and a basic understanding of what each discipline can provide. FACIAL ANALYSIS Facial evaluation is an integral part of patient examination. It starts with evaluating facial symmetry, as symmetric faces are considered more beautiful than those that are n
Post a Comment
Read more