Generally called periodontitis, gum disease begins when there is bacterial growth in the mouth. If not properly treated, it can lead to tooth loss, tissue damage, and bone degeneration that calls for surgery and dental implants.
Furthermore, when it reaches an advanced level, it can pose serious health risks to the patients as well. Continue reading to know more about this gum disease and its effects on overall health.
GUM DISEASE – STAGES
This is how gum diseases aggravate. There are two main stages of gum disease:
Gingivitis
It is the earliest stage of gum disease. The gums become red and inflamed that also bleeds easily. You can treat gingivitis easily by following a strict oral hygiene regimen such as brushing twice a day daily and flossing. Also, visiting your dental clinic regularly can also help in early diagnosis and treatment. Even though gingivitis is reversible, it needs to be identified in the early stage.
Periodontitis
Periodontitis is a more serious stage of gum disease that seriously impacts the teeth supporting structure and gums. In periodontitis, pockets are formed between the teeth as gums begin to pull away from them. Both the bone and ligament that support the teeth begin to wear down over time. As a result, the tooth becomes loose in its socket.
If the patient doesn’t get treated for periodontitis, there won’t be any other option but tooth removal.
GUM DISEASE – CAUSES
Gums are attached to our teeth at a lower point; deeper than the edges that we see. This forms a space called the sulcus. Food particles and even plaque get trapped in this space that causes a gum infection or gingivitis. Plaque is a thin film of bacteria that constantly forms on our teeth’ surface. As it advances, it hardens and eventually becomes tartar. When it goes below the gum line, you are at risk of getting an infection.
If left untreated, gingivitis can lead to tooth loss as gums separate from the teeth. This also injures the teeth supporting bone and soft tissue. The tooth becomes loose. And if the infection exceeds, you would eventually have to get your tooth removed and opt for a dental implant instead.
GUM DISEASE – TREATMENT
Gum disease treatment aims to reattach healthy gums to teeth. Also, it focuses on reducing the risk of infection, the depth of pockets, and swelling to prevent the infection from spreading. Treatment options available for gum disease depend on how far the disease has progressed along with the treatment you opted for earlier and its results. Your overall health is an important factor as well.
Here are some of the treatment methods:
Medicines
There are some antimicrobial medications and antibiotics that help in reducing the size of gum pockets. They are available in the form of gels, mouth rinse, pills, and tiny round particles that are placed in the pocket.
Root Planing and Scaling
The dentist removes the infection-causing plaque using a method called scaling and root planing. Basically, it’s a deep cleaning method that helps in removing bacteria present around the tooth root and gum line.
Surgery
In case both medication and deep cleaning fail to restore gum health, surgery is the next step that can help. There are two types of surgery. One is flap surgery that lifts away the gum tissue allowing the dentist to clean underneath it. Later on, the tissue is sutured back. The second option is gum or bone graft surgery that helps in grafting tissue or bone from another part of the mouth to the damaged area of your jaw or gum.
