Taking Care of Your Gum's Health

Do your gums bleed easily when you try to brush or floss your teeth? Have you ever wondered why there are spaces between your teeth? Do your gums have purulent discharges oozing out for no apparent cause? Do you brush your teeth often but still have bad breath (halitosis)? Do your teeth appear like they’re about to fall off? If yes, then it’s time to have a closer look at these problems as these may be signs of a serious gum disease that is medically known as periodontitis and that you may be in need of a periodontal disease treatment.

Periodontitis is a result of the deterioration of gingivitis or inflammation of the gums when it is left untreated. So what causes this inflammation? As you all know, our oral cavity is inhabited by bacteria and these bacteria and other particles form ‘plaques’ with the mucus that are naturally secreted by the structures in our mouth in order to trap or filter dirt before entering our lungs. These so-called plaques solidify to form into ‘tartar’ or ‘calculus’ which is the yellowish substance that stains our teeth and don’t seem to come off despite vigorous brushing.

When these deep-seated plaques stay on our teeth for a considerable amount of time, they pose a big threat to our dental health for these cause inflammation of the gums or gingivitis. The gums that are affected by gingivitis are red, swollen and they bleed easily. However, gingivitis is only a mild form of gum disease and it can be treated with good dental hygiene. Progressive worsening of gingivitis will eventually lead to periodontitis. In this condition, the gums move away from the teeth and form ‘pockets’ where more plaques and bacteria are deposited. As a result of the invasion of bacteria in the underlying gum tissues, the bones and connective tissues that hold the teeth in place are broken down, thus the teeth become loose. If these symptoms are left untreated, it will take a longer periodontal disease treatment and sometimes it will be too late to save the affected tooth already.

Fortunately, there exists periodontics, which not only deals with the study of periodontal diseases, but with their treatment as well. Periodontics is a specialized dental practice and it also deals with periodontal disease treatment that can either be surgical or non-invasive. Surgical treatments are rare and are only done when non-surgical treatments are ineffective or don’t match with the severity and extent of the disease. Non-surgical periodontal disease treatment include professional dental cleaning as well as root scaling and planing wherein the plaques or calculus are taken away from the gum line and the teeth are smoothed out so that the gums can attach to the teeth with a cleaner surface. There are a variety of surgical treatments which will best suite the current condition of your gum disease.

Aside from the advantages that were previously mentioned when one undergoes perodiontal disease treatment there are other benefits as well. Periodontal disease treatments can help reduce the risk of respiratory cardiac diseases, poor pregnancy outcomes, and dementia. Furthermore, studies suggest that it can help in the management of diabetes. 

So even though you haven’t seen the manifestations of periodontal disease, it is still wise and cost-effective to visit your periodontist for early detection and treatment. Most periodontal diseases are detected only when signs and symptoms become apparent and severe enough to cause impairment in activities of daily living. Would you risk waiting before the disease becomes serious, or would you rather visit a periodontist and have a routine check-up? Detecting the problem at an early stage will save you money and your teeth as well.