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Periodontal Disease

Periodontal (Gum) disease and other oral health problems have plagued mankind from the beginning of time. The Cro-Magnon people, who inhabited the earth over 25,000 years ago, showed early evidence of tooth decay. The earliest reference to oral disease comes from a Sumerian text (5,000 B.C.) that points to “tooth worms” as the primary cause of dental decay. People, during this time, believed that these “tooth worms”, along with other spirits inhabited the tooth itself and lead to decay, as well as gum disease. Methods to treat, such gum or teeth abnormalities, were extremely crude to say the least and involved lots of pain with no anesthesia.

Luckily, dentistry has come a long way, since early mankind’s attempts. Today, oral health is vital to the way an individual looks, feels, and smiles. However, gum disease is on the rise and current statistics indicate that between 90-95% of the population has some form periodontal infection without even knowing. But what exactly is periodontal disease, and what causes it? Periodontal infection arises, when the tissues supporting your teeth become inflamed or infected.

Oral tissue appears to be attached to the teeth from high above. However, this is not the case. There is a v-shaped crevice between the tooth and the gums called the sulcus. Periodontal infection attacks right below the gum line in the sulcus region, where the attaching tooth and oral tissues are broken down. As this disintegration continues, the sulcus develops into a pocket. In severe cases of gum disease the pocket may be very deep causing a variety of oral health problems.

Things that may increase your risk of periodontal infection include: smoking or chewing tobacco, diabetes, crooked teeth, poor fitting bridgework, defective fillings, and certain types of medications, such as steroids, cancer therapy drugs, anti-epilepsy drugs, along with oral contraceptives. However, the main cause of gum disease is inefficient oral health maintenance, such as poor brushing and flossing. Keeping your teeth clean is one way to combat periodontal infection and having regular checkups with a quality dentist is another. The people at Medical Center Dental Group want to give you the opportunity to maintain your oral health with one of our outstanding professionals.

Gum disease is a big problem, and it can get bigger, if you leave it untreated. Medical Center Dental Group professionals will give you detailed cleanings that will decrease the risk of periodontal infection, along with informative instructions on how to maintain your oral health at home. Our professionals know what periodontal disease can do to your mouth. We have identified several different stages of periodontal infection, which are sometimes elusive to the individual unless diagnosed correctly.

The first stage is gingivitis. Symptoms of gingivitis include inflamed gums, red tissue, and bleeding. Gingivitis is completely reversible, if treated properly. When gingivitis is not treated, the patient can develop mild periodontitis. The tissues of the teeth start to detach in this stage and can result in oral tissue recession and pockets or a combination of both. Moderate periodontitis is the next stage. Bone loss in this stage of periodontal infection can range from 4-6mm. This stage is not reversible, but can be managed in most cases. Tooth mobility, bad breath and painful swollen gums accompany this stage. Later stages of periodontal infection include the advanced stage and refractory stage. Periodontal disease advancing to these latter phases can result in tooth loss, because of a high amount of bone depletion. To review the treatment process please click here.

Medical Center Dental Group professionals want to give you some valuable advice on how to prevent gum disease. Our professionals will discuss the best obstacle to oral disease prevention. After your regular cleaning, you will be given detailed instructions on how to maintain your teeth and oral tissues, so that periodontal disease does not waste away your precious smile. We care about your oral health and want you to have the most beautiful smile possible. Come and visit one of our dentists and see for yourself!

For any other dentistry related questions or to make an appointment, please contact us at 888.790.0309 or feel free to Ask the Dentist.