Dealing with periodontal diseases is not something to be taken lightly; moreover, unless managed wisely, it may lead to other health-related illnesses in addition to those associated with the mouth including diabetes, heart illness and preterm, low-weight infants.
While not yet conclusive by medical science as to a correlation between periodontal disease and other health-related issues, preventing periodontal disease can definitely prevent loss of your teeth.
In this article below, a breakdown of the following vital information will better help you to first avoid the illnesses and then know how best to treat it.
What Are Its Symptoms
Symptoms of periodontal disease may include red, inflamed gums, persistent bad breath, bleeding gums, loose teeth that feel sensitive when chewing or even when brushing and a receding gum line. Once a receding gum line is noted by an oral physician, consider it a sure indication of advancing Gingivitis or worse yet, Periodontitis.
Periodontal Disease: Its Nature
Although Gingivitis or gum inflammation, does not necessarily lead to a more advanced case of Periodontitis in all cases, it frequently does precede advanced Periodontitis. A far more serious disease than Gingivitis, Periodontitis has a high likelihood of turning into something that damages or destroys the bone matter supporting the teeth and further causes deep pockets between the gum and teeth.
Periodontitis has three distinct phases: Chronic Periodontitis, aggressive Periodontitis, disease-related Periodontitis and necrotizing Periodontitis, which is the most common form of Periodontitis. Although Periodontitis begins in adolescence, it does not typically become significant until the mid-30s.
Periodontal Disease: Its Causes
The causes of Periodontal disease can be said to originate with insufficient oral hygiene that allows plaque built up in the mouth and surrounding oral cavity. Left unchecked, harmful bacteria accumulates in thickness until they form plaque, a yellowish-white film that sticks to the teeth and adjacent gums.
Eventually, this plaque buildup causes a gum infection. When not removed, the plaque further forms into calculus or rock-hard tartar which must be removed by an oral physician.
Other than plaque buildup and a lack of proper hygiene, other contributing factors also involved as causes of periodontal diseases include age, tobacco use, hormonal changes, autoimmune diseases and medications or over medication of prescribed drugs.
Is periodontal disease contagious?
While not truly considered contagious, it is better to side with caution. Contact with a loved one’s saliva, eating utensils or drinking cups may expose persons to another person’s underlying medical condition like diabetes, HIV and/or other immune system diseases.
Likewise, if they’re undergoing hormonal changes or they are taking a medication for some other illness, they may be a risk factor in transmitting that gum disease from a suppressed immune system host to someone in your family. Interestingly, Periodontal disease many times appears in members of the same family or blood relatives including one’s cousins, brothers, sisters, grandparents, parents and uncles/aunts as well.
How To Cure Periodontal Disease
Realistically speaking, there is no known cure for periodontal disease other than the below mentioned few treatments: remedial treatments, intensive hygienic practices and comprehensive treatment by oral physicians. Generally, the US population gets high ratings for good oral hygiene which can reduce the inflammatory conditions; however, any accompanying bone loss is often thought to be irreversible.
Through the centuries, rinsing several times a day with warm salt water resulted in keeping the mouth sanitized of harmful bacteria. Today, brushing and flossing helps immensely, but the treatment of periodontal disease requires more than simple brushing and flossing when planning a strategy against these types of diseases.
Today, nonsurgical approaches, surgical approaches and restorative procedures come to the forefront in treating or curing periodontal disease.
In nonsurgical protocols, there is a scaling and root planning from the gum line and tooth surfaces. This foundational procedure calls for extensive deep cleaning of tartar and bacteria and may warrant the topical use of antibiotics or using antibiotics of a more systemic nature.
Removing calculus in nonsurgical protocols may call for either manual or ultrasonic methods. With an ultrasonic device, the instrument gives forth a high frequency vibration that helps loosen and scrape off the tartar. Followed by a high-pressure water spray to further flush out debris, this technique is usually reserved for the more severe cases of tartar removal.
During a manual treatment, scraper tools scrape away minor tartar buildup and the treatment is completed with a polishing of the tooth with a compounded paste. It is this polishing procedure that results in a smooth tooth surface making plaque buildup harder to stick to the teeth and gum line.
In a surgical treatment, common techniques such as periodontal pocket reduction, gum grafts, bone grafts and tissue regeneration are many times used. After surgery, patients typically rinse their mouths with salted warm water to reduce inflammation due to possible post-surgical discomfort or pain. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications such as ibuprofen or the use of ice bags are the indicated course of treatment for any post surgery.
Restorative treatment sometimes calls for dental implants where lost teeth or bone matter is already lost due to the advance of the disease. Other typical restorative procedures include the use of bridges to replace a missing tooth by “bridging” the teeth on either side of the missing tooth.
A two-appointment procedure, acrylic bridges are used temporarily as the other permanent set is fashioned in a lab. At other times, crown replacements may be warranted as are other procedures determined by the nature and degree of the periodontal disease.
How To Prevent Periodontal Disease
In real estate, the commonly used term would be, “It’s about location, location and location!” In referring to periodontal disease, the term would be, “It’s about hygiene, hygiene and more hygiene!” Consistent, regular oral hygiene at home, work and/or even while on a vacation, are crucially important in laying the best foundation for periodontal disease prevention.
That being said, according to the American Dental Association(ADA), brushing with a fluoride toothpaste should be done at least three times a day and followed by regular flossing in between the teeth.
Being certain to replace the toothbrush every one to three months, the ADA also recommends that everyone, children two to three years of age included, go to regular oral exams/cleanings at least twice a year. Furthermore, eating a nourishing, sugar-free diet with limited in between snacking is vitally important, as is eliminating all smoking.
Some further interesting facts…
More than 50 percent of the US adult population has Gingivitis; moreover, Periodontitis is found in the remaining 30 percent or more of those afflicted with periodontal disease. Worse yet, five percent of those with Periodontitis have it in the more advanced and aggressive forms of the disease. That said, typical costs for full-blown surgery and treatment comes in between about $4,000 to $5,000.
While an oral physician is both the first line of defense and counter-offense in combating advancing periodontal diseases, patients sometimes receive referrals to a periodontist who specializes in treating periodontal disease.
Either way, it’s still all about using “hygiene, hygiene and more hygiene” to ward off periodontal diseases that may end up in tooth loss for many unfortunate patients.
FAQ
Can you fix periodontal disease?
What are some of the early warning signs of periodontal disease?
- Gums that bleed during and after tooth brushing.
- Red, swollen, or tender gums.
- Persistent bad breath or bad taste in the mouth.
- Receding gums.
- Formation of deep pockets between teeth and gums.
- Loose or shifting teeth.
What happens if periodontal disease goes untreated?
What are the stages of periodontal disease?
Can teeth be saved with periodontal disease?
Will I lose my teeth if I have periodontal disease?
How much does periodontal treatment cost?
Which toothpaste is best for periodontal disease?
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Can you get rid of Periodontal Disease?
I went to the dentist yesterday and I have Periodontal Disease most pockets are only 2 to 3 but I have a few 4’s and 5’s and one that they read as a 10. I have had a lot of dental work done in my life (broke 2 front teeth, root canel, the tooth became infected, I lost the front tooth) and now this. The only reason my dentist even checked was because I am having a Crown put on my front tooth. Can I get rid of this or am I going to lose another tooth I am to young to have 2 crowns.
No you can not. There is no cure for it. Once you have it you will always have it. You can maintain it and keep it from progressing usually. Bone loss, which is a result of periodontal disease, is actually a result of your bodies response to the bacteria that cause periodontal disease. I know, that makes no sense to hear that your own body is causing the bone loss, but research has proven it. You liver produces protiens that go to those pockets to attack the bacteria and in the process, bone loss does occur. My dentist is the biggest dental nerd and does research on periodontal disease all the time. He comes back from seminars and teaches me what he learned. Periodontal disease has been linked to heart disease, heart attacks and diabetes. It really does affect your whole body health.
The maintenance that you need to do involved treating the pocketing. You will probably need to have the pockets cleaned out, which is deep cleaning or Root planing and curattage (I am a horrible speller, sorry). Sometimes they will use an antibiotic, such as Arestin, that is placed right in those deeper pockets, to try to reduce the depth of the pocket. You would probably be put on a 3-4 month recall from now on, or at least for a couple of years. You will always need to get on track with the recalls or you will sooner or later be going through the deep cleaning again one day. They need to do measurements on your bone levels and pocketing at least 2 times a year to keep ahead of the disease.
There is a new way to regrow bone lost due to periodontal disease. Now, not all people are candidates, but this is the only proven way to regrow bone. It is called a Periolase. It is a laser machine that targets black pigment, which is what the bacteria in those pockets contains. There are just too many details to go into on here, but you might want to check into this machine if you are loosing bone at all. There are only about 250 dentists in the US that own one of these lasers, because they are very expensive and are reletively new to dentistry. Obviously we own one, but that is another story.
I hope that I have helped you a little.
Feel free to IM or email me with any more questions.
The treatment also depends on the level of severity of the gum disease. To treat your own periodontal disease, you can visit the periodontist and have a proper cleaning.
Some individuals ignore the inflammation in their gums or supporting tissue around the teeth and try to brush their teeth in order to get rid of the irritating gum problem, but they ultimately fail. The Plaque in our teeth mixes with saliva and bacteria and then sticks on the surface of the teeth that can’t be removed with brushing, it could only be removed only through professional cleaning.