The Real Facts About Gum Disease

Anyone can be affected by gum disease (periodontitis) at some point in their lives and as it is usually painless, it can be hard to detect!

Gum disease involves the inflammation of the gums and then infection. Possible causes are;

• Genetics
• Medications
• Poor oral health
• Hormone imbalance
• Smoking
• Llness
• Oral trauma
• Poor diet

Early Stages

In its early stages just the gum is affected, with the gums becoming inflamed and appearing red and swollen. The gums will bleed easily and the bleeding can often be noticed on brushing. You may notice bad breath. At this stage if you remove all the plaque and keep it away, by careful brushing, flossing and perhaps the use of mouthwashes as well, your gums should return to normal.

Later Stages (Bone Loss)

If the disease is not stopped it continues to spread down beneath the gum, at which point the gums may become more swollen and bleed more often. The plaque may harden to form ‘tartar’ or calculus around the teeth. The infection spreads into the bone that holds the teeth in place and, in simple terms, starts to dissolve the bone away. Once the bone goes it cannot be naturally replaced.

How The Teeth Are Affected

The effect of losing bone is that the tooth may become gradually loose and eventually, if the disease process is not stopped, the affected tooth or teeth will fall out. In these later stages you will need the help of a dental hygienist to carry out cleaning under the gums to clean out the affected areas.

Why Oral Screening Is Important?

Oral screening helps to identify if gum disease is present, the type of gum disease, severity of it and the treatment option. The sooner gum disease is diagnosed, the quicker it may be treated before infection spreads through the body and bone loss occurs.

Book an appointment with one of our dentists now to have yourself checked!