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Posts for tag: periodontal (gum) disease

By Sandusky and Lexington Dental Care
February 22, 2018
Category: Oral Health
DontletGumDisease-theOtherDentalDisease-RobyouofYourSmile

There's a lot of emphasis — well-placed, of course — on preventing and treating tooth decay. But there's another dental disease just as dangerous to your oral health and nearly half of U.S. adults have it. It's actually a group of diseases known collectively as periodontal (gum) disease.

Gum disease is similar to tooth decay in one respect: they're both triggered by bacteria. These microorganisms thrive in a thin film of food particles called plaque that collects on tooth surfaces.

Certain bacteria can infect gum tissues and trigger inflammation, a response from the body's immune system to fight it. As the battle rages, bone loss can occur and the gums weaken and begin to detach from the teeth. Without treatment, you could eventually lose affected teeth.

Like tooth decay, the best approach with gum disease is to prevent it, and by using the same techniques of daily brushing and flossing. These actions loosen and remove plaque built up since your last brushing. It's also important you visit us at least twice a year for cleanings that remove hard to reach plaque and calculus (hardened plaque deposits).

If despite your best efforts you do contract gum disease, the sooner you see us for treatment the lower the long-term impact on your health. The treatment aim is the same as your daily hygiene: to remove plaque and calculus. We use specialized hand instruments or ultrasound equipment to mechanically remove plaque; more advanced cases may require the skills of a periodontist who specializes in caring for structures like the gums that support teeth.

So, defend yourself against gum disease by brushing and flossing daily, and visiting us regularly for dental cleanings and checkups. If you notice bleeding, swollen or painful gums, see us as soon as possible for diagnosis and treatment. Don't let tooth decay's evil twin ruin your oral health or your smile.

If you would like more information on the prevention and treatment of gum disease, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “When to See a Periodontist.”

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By Sandusky and Lexington Dental Care
November 24, 2017
Category: Dental Procedures
TreatingGumDiseaseImportanttoSavingtheUnderlyingBone

If you've had periodontal (gum) disease, you've no doubt experienced gum inflammation, bleeding or pain. But your gums may not be the only mouth structures under assault — the disease may be damaging the underlying support bone.

Although easing soft tissue symptoms is important, our primary focus is to protect all your teeth's supporting structures — the gums, the attaching ligaments and, of course, the bone. To do so we must stop the infection and reduce the risk of reoccurrence.

Stopping gum disease depends on removing its source — plaque, a thin biofilm of bacteria and food particles accumulating on tooth surfaces, due to poor oral hygiene. We must remove it mechanically — with hand instruments known as scalers or ultrasonic equipment that vibrates the plaque and calculus (hardened plaque deposits) loose.

It's not always a straightforward matter, though, especially if the diseased gum tissues have pulled away from the teeth. The slight natural gap between teeth can widen into voids known as periodontal pockets; they fill with infection and can extend several millimeters below the gum line. We must thoroughly cleanse these pockets, sometimes with invasive techniques like root planing (removing plaque from the roots) or surgical access. You may also need tissue grafting to regenerate gum attachment to the teeth.

One of the more difficult scenarios involves pockets where roots divide, known as furcations. This can cause cave-like voids of bone loss. Unless we treat it, the continuing bone loss will eventually lead to tooth loss. Besides plaque removal, it may also be prudent in these cases to use antimicrobial products (such as a mouthrinse with chlorhexidine) or antibiotics like tetracycline to reduce bacterial growth.

Perhaps the most important factor is what happens after treatment. To maintain gum health and reduce the chances of re-infection, you'll need to practice diligent daily hygiene, including brushing, flossing and any prescribed rinses. You should also keep up a regular schedule of office cleanings and checkups, sometimes more than twice a year depending on your degree of disease.

If you would like more information on treatments for gum disease, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Treating Difficult Areas of Periodontal Disease.”

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By Sandusky and Lexington Dental Care
September 26, 2012
Category: Oral Health
UnderstandingThe4StagesOfGumDisease

Since the dawn of man, periodontal (gum) disease has impacted humans. And while dental health has dramatically improved over the generations, the facts are still clear — millions of Americans are suffering from gum disease and probably do not even know that they have a problem. This is because periodontal disease most often starts without any symptoms or ones that most people tend to discount or ignore.

Stage 1: Gingivitis. The first stage of gum disease is inflammation of the gingiva (gums) without bone loss. While nearly all people will develop gingivitis in the absence of good oral hygiene, only 10 to 15% of them will go on to develop more advanced stages of the disease.

Stage 2: Early periodontitis. With this stage, gingivitis progresses into the deeper periodontal structures — the tissues that attach the teeth to the bone resulting in early or beginning bone loss. About 10% of the population develops full-blown periodontitis with progressive bone loss.

Stage 3: Moderate periodontitis. The third stage of gum disease results in moderate bone loss (20 to 50%) of root surfaces of the teeth due to continued destruction of the surrounding tissues and bone. Periodontal disease is “cyclical” — it goes in cycles with bursts of activity, followed by a period in which the body tries to recover. This is called chronic inflammation, or frustrated healing.

Stage 4: Advanced periodontitis. With the final stage of gum disease, there is severe bone loss (50 to 85%) from the tooth's root. This stage includes looseness of teeth, moving teeth, abscess formation with red, swollen and painful gums. The end results — eating and even smiling is difficult and uncomfortable, and you could lose all your teeth.

You can learn more about gum disease in the Dear Doctor article, “Understanding Gum Disease.”

Have We Described Your Mouth?

If any of the above stages sounds like we are talking about your mouth, contact us today to schedule a consultation, discuss your questions and receive a thorough exam. If addressed promptly and with commitment to following your treatment plan, your mouth can return to good oral health.

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By Sandusky and Lexington Dental Care
August 23, 2012
Category: Dental Procedures
WhatCanADeepCleaningDoForGumDisease

Gum or periodontal disease is a condition in which “biofilms” or dental bacterial plaque sticks to teeth around the gum line in the absence of good oral hygiene. If left untreated, it causes inflammation of the gums and surrounding tissues of the teeth that can result in “pocketing,” gum recession and bone loss that eventually leads to loose teeth, followed by no teeth! And for about 10 to 15% of those having gingivitis or stage 1 periodontal disease, it can get worse by progressing into chronic periodontal disease. However, the good news is that a conservative and simple treatment called root planing combined with good daily oral hygiene may return your gum tissues to health, and even eliminate the need for gum surgery.

Most of the time, root planing is performed with local anesthesia (numbing shots) in the areas requiring treatment. Anesthesia is an important part because you should always feel relaxed and comfortable during treatment. Because inflamed gum tissues may be quite sensitive, these numbing shots enable us to accomplish our goals and thoroughly remove the problematic material from your teeth's roots.

Root planing or deep cleaning is a routine dental procedure usually done in conjunction with scaling, the removal of the more superficial deposits on the tooth surfaces. Root planing involves physically planing (scraping) the root surfaces of the teeth to remove calculus, bacteria and toxins that are ingrained into their surfaces so that the attached gum tissues can heal. It is carried out with manual hand instruments, ultrasonic electronic instruments or a combination of both for your comfort and best results.

You can learn more about this procedure by reading, “Root Planing.” Or if you want to schedule an appointment to discuss your questions, contact us today.

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