What Is Gum Disease?
Gum disease starts when bacteria grows in your mouth when you don’t brush your teeth regularly or floss well enough. Gum disease affects the tissues of the gums that surround and support the teeth.
It is characterized by bleeding, inflammation, redness, pain, bad breath, and tooth loss. Severe Gum infection affects around 19% of the global adult population, reporting more than one billion cases worldwide.
According to American Dental Association (ADA), gum diseases like Gingivitis and Periodontitis are the major causes of tooth loss in adults.
Types Of Gum Disease
The three main types of gum diseases are –
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is the most common and mild gum inflammation, also called periodontal, that causes inflammation, redness, swelling, and bleeding of the gums, which leads to pyorrhea. It is caused by bacterial infection and plaque overgrowth due to poor oral hygiene.
Gingivitis does not cause bone loss, but if left untreated, it can cause more severe Gum infection called periodontitis or tooth loss.
The most common causes of gingivitis is not keeping your teeth and gums clean. Maintaining a good oral habit like brushing twice a day, regular tongue cleaning, flossing, and getting dental checkups from time to time can help prevent gingivitis.
Periodontitis
Periodontitis is caused due to bacterial infection that affects gums and tissues. It is a chronic Periodontal disease that is triggered by bacterial microorganisms and involves severe chronic inflammation, leading to the destruction of the teeth’ supporting apparatus.
Untreated Periodontitis results in teeth loss, and it can sometimes increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other health problems.
ANUG
ANUG, also called acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, is a painful gum infection characterized by rapid tissue destruction, ulceration, and bleeding, which is often associated with poor oral hygiene. It can lead to potentially more severe conditions if it is left untreated.
Causes Of Gum Disease
Gum inflammation or periodontal disease is primarily caused by plaque formation, a sticky layer of bacteria on the teeth and gums that leads to infection.
Dental plaque that is not removed on a daily basis can harden and form tartar, which builds up over time and can lead to Periodontal disease. Only a dentist or professional dental cleaning can effectively remove tartar.
Plaque – It forms when bacteria in the mouth feed on sugars and starches from food particles, creating a sticky film on the teeth.
Tartar – Plaque that isn’t removed through regular brushing and flossing hardens and becomes tartar, which is a harder substance that can be removed by a dentist.
Irritation – Plaque and tartar irritate the gum tissues, causing gum inflammation and infection that can lead to Pyorrhea.
Some of the most common factors contributing to Gum inflammation are –
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Poor Oral Hygiene
Neglecting proper cleaning of teeth and tongue and not flossing regularly allows plaque and tartar to accumulate, that increases the risk of Periodontal disease.
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Smoking
Regular smoking weakens a person’s immune system and reduces the ability to fight against infections, putting individuals at higher risk of Gingival disease.
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Hormonal changes
Fluctuations in hormones during pregnancy or menstruation can make your teeth and gums sensitive and highly prone to inflammation.
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Systemic Diseases
Certain medical conditions, especially diabetes, can increase the risk of Periodontal disease.
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Certain Medications
Using certain medications can cause dry mouth, which increases the risk of Gingival disease.
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Diet
Diets that are rich in sugar and high in carbohydrates can contribute to plaque formation, which can lead to Gum infection.
How Gum Disease Is Treated
Its treatment depends on your oral health and the stage of the disease. There are not any Periodontal disease medications that you can use to treat any gum disease.
Neurological Treatment
Certain Gum infection treatments do not involve surgery –
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Professional Dental Cleaning
During your dental checkup, a dentist will remove the tartar from your teeth, which can only be removed through professional dental cleaning.
If you have Gingival disease symptoms, you may be recommended for professional dental cleaning more than twice a year. It is not a treatment but it is a preventative measure for Periodontal disease.
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Scaling And Root Planning
It is a process of deep cleaning done under a local anesthetic in which plaque and tartar are scraped away (scaling) from the surface of your teeth and gums, which hardens and leads to Periodontal disease.
The rough surfaces of the teeth are made smooth (planning). It provides a clean surface on the teeth that allows your gums to reattach.
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Surgical Treatments
Your dentist may recommend you undergo Gingival disease surgery if the tissues around your teeth can’t be repaired and neurological treatment is not enough for your oral condition.
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Flap Surgery
During this treatment, your gums are lifted back to remove tartar, and the irregular surfaces of the bone are smoothed out to limit areas where bacteria usually hide. Your gums are then placed to fit around your tooth, which reduces the space between your gum and tooth.
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Bone Grafting
In this procedure, dentists use fragments of your own bones, synthetic or donated bones, to replace them with damaged teeth bones due to Gingival disease. Bone grafts serve as a platform for the regrowth of bone, which ensures stability to your teeth.
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Soft Tissue Grafts
It reinforces thin gums and fills the gaps where your gums have receded due to Gingival disease. Grafted tissue is most often taken from the roof of your mouth and stitched into place to add tissue to your affected area.
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Bone Surgery
In this process, a dentist smoothes out shallow craters in your bone caused due to bone loss. After surgery, the bone around your tooth is reshaped to prevent bacteria from collecting and growing on your teeth.
Benefits Of Gum Disease Treatment
The pros of gum disease treatment outweigh the cons. If left untreated, it continues its destructive path, leading to infection, bone loss, and eventually tooth loss.
Some of the major benefits of This treatment are –
- Eliminate disease-causing bacteria from your mouth
- Stops bone loss in your jaw
- Prevents bad breath (halitosis).
- Healthier gums that aren’t red, swollen or tender
- Minimize the potential for heart disease, stroke, and other oral medical conditions
Post-Periodontal Surgery Preventions
Here are some of the most important prevention measures recommended for people with periodontal surgery for healthier and shinier teeth.
Oral Hygiene
Maintaining a regular hygienic oral routine is crucial to prevent Gum inflammation after surgery, which includes regular brushing for two minutes, tongue cleaning, and flossing, along with a prescribed mouthwash.
Making Healthy Choices
Having a nutritious diet, quitting smoking, and managing stress contribute to overall oral health and help prevent Gum infection post-periodontal surgery.
Dental Checkups
- Schedule your next appointment with your dental professional to monitor the healing process, which is key to reducing the risk of Gum infection.
- Effective gum disease treatment ensures the safety and best possible outcome of white sparkling teeth that help accentuate a dazzling smile.
- Additionally, teeth-whitening treatment in a digital dental center is indispensable for the accurate, rapid production of mold of the teeth.
At Dacula Dental, we use cutting-edge dental technology to help create trust and confidence for the best service before and after the treatment.
Don’t Let Cavities Grow, Keep Flossing
Reference
Cleveland Clinic October 5 , 2023 Dental Plaque [https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/10953-plaque]