Periodontal Care
Gum disease is a condition that begins with the growth of bacteria in your mouth, and can destroy the tissue that surrounds your teeth. You should visit us at Simonsen Dental as we will provide education for our patients to better understand how they sustain their oral health at home and prevent gum disease. If you have gum disease, the inner layer of the gums and bones in your mouth will pull away from the teeth and begin to form pockets. These pockets will provide a space for infection. Allowing plaque to continue to grow beneath your gum line and spread, your body's immune system will begin to attack the bacteria. The toxins produced by the bacteria combined with the enzymes involved in fighting infection will begin to break down the tissue surrounding your teeth. If the disease progresses, the pockets will grow deeper and more of your tissue and bone will be destroyed. When this happens, your teeth become loose because they will no longer be anchored in place in your gums. By reaching this stage, irreversible bone and tissue damage will occur. Gingivitis can precede periodontitis, so it is important to treat your gum disease at this stage. Gingivitis and PeriodontitisGingivitis is gum inflammation caused by an overgrowth of dental plaque or a bacterial infection. This is commonly caused by having improper dental hygiene. Should you forget to brush, floss, and use mouthwash, then a plaque film made up of bacteria and food will build up around your teeth. These acids, released by plaque, will damage your tooth enamel and cause decay. If you do not practice proper dental hygiene, be aware that it only takes 72 hours for plaque in your mouth to harden and become tartar. This will cause inflammation in your gums and then cause gingivitis. If you develop gingivitis, it can precede periodontitis, but not all gingivitis leads to periodontitis. Developing this infection is common and you may get gingivitis at some point in your life. If you have gingivitis, the symptoms include gums that are sensitive, red, swollen, and bleed while being brushed. Typically, your symptoms of gingivitis will start out mild and may be easy to ignore. However, if you do so it will cause the issue to turn into a bigger problem. What Causes Gum Disease?Experiencing hormonal changes can also cause gum disease by making your gums sensitive and making it easier for you to develop gingivitis. Changes to the gums can occur during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. If you have an illness that affects your immune system, it can affect your oral health. Illnesses such as diabetes will impede the use of blood sugar in your body causing you to be at a higher risk of developing an infection like gum disease. Certain medications can also affect the condition of the gums because they can lessen the flow of saliva, or even cause the growth of more gum tissue. The development of gingivitis can also happen if you have a family history of dental diseases. How Can Gum Disease Be Treated?If you want to prevent gum disease, you can do so by brushing, and flossing your teeth. Visiting our dentist every six months to have your teeth cleaned can improve your oral health. Our dentists provide a number of treatments for gum disease that include nonsurgical therapy and restorative surgery. We provide professional dental cleanings and deep cleanings. These are known as scaling and root planing, and are the only nonsurgical treatments. If your gum disease has progressed, we can perform pocket reduction surgery, bone surgery, or guided tissue regeneration. Allow our dentists at Simonsen Dental to handle your individual case. Give us a call today at (503) 213-7004. |
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