Periodontal disease, another name for gum disease, is a condition that develops when the tissues holding your teeth become infected or inflammatory. The most frequent cause of this problem is poor dental hygiene, but there are other risk factors, such as smoking, that might raise your risk of gum disease. This is a very common illness with symptoms affecting approximately 50% of persons over 30.
The degree of your gum disease will determine how bad it gets. Gingivitis is a treatable minor form of gum disease. However, if you don’t get treatment, your illness can worsen and become permanent periodontitis. Thankfully, therapies including dental cleanings and prescription drugs can lessen symptoms.
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Gum Disease Types
Gum disease can be broadly classified into two types: periodontitis and gingivitis. On the other hand, periodontitis is categorized into different levels, from moderate to advanced.
- Gingivitis: the least severe kind of gum disease, which results in gum inflammation. Gum symptoms are localized and reversible with medical intervention.
- Mild periodontitis: This is regarded as gum disease stage two. Because of the “pockets” that mild periodontitis makes in your gums, your gums will gradually peel away from your teeth. This can lead to problems in your supporting bone structures, surrounding tissues, and gums.
- Moderate periodontitis: Periodontitis can progress to moderate periodontitis, often known as stage three gum disease, if treatment is not received. The bones and ligaments supporting the teeth begin to deteriorate at this point.
- Advanced periodontitis: An advanced form of periodontitis is called stage four gum disease. Your teeth may fall out or become loose at this point because to the more noticeable bone loss in your mouth.
Gum Disease Symptoms
Gum disease symptoms worsen with time, particularly if you don’t obtain the right care.
Gingivitis Symptoms
The following symptoms could appear if you get gingivitis:
- Gums that are red or swollen
- Gum bleeding following brushing, flossing, or consuming particular foods
- Gums that are painful or tender
- Visible layers of crusty tartar and plaque on the teeth
- Halitosis (chronic bad breath)
- Bad taste in the mouth
Periodontitis Symptoms
Gum disease symptoms worsen as it progresses and turns into periodontitis. Gum recession, which pulls the gums back and makes the teeth look bigger, affects a lot of people. Additional signs and symptoms could be:
- Severe periodontitis causing discomfort in the mouth or teeth
- Sensitivity of teeth to temperature
- Pus-filled pockets between the gums and teeth
- Teeth that become loose
- Loss of teeth
- Alterations to your bite
- Bone infection
- Difficulty chewing food
Causes
Plaque, a sticky, bacterially-rich coating that can form on your teeth, is the primary cause of the great majority of cases of gum disease. Tartar is the term for the hardened brown, black, or green crust that forms from the continuous buildup of plaque on teeth. Gum disease symptoms are brought on by tartar, which can extend beyond the gum line and is impossible to remove without dental care. Tartar triggers an inflammatory (immune) response in the gums.
One of the main causes of plaque and tartar accumulation on your teeth is inadequate dental hygiene. Plaque can be eliminated with consistent brushing and flossing. However, plaque can become tartar and inflame your gums if it remains on your teeth for longer than two weeks.
Risk Factors
There are several things that can make you more likely to get gum disease, including:
- Genetics
- Smoking
- Type 2 diabetes
- Not flossing or brushing your teeth enough
- Crooked teeth
- Stress
- Heart disease
- Autoimmune disorders, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS) or lupus
- Improper dental fillings
- Dental equipment that fits poorly
- Using drugs that make your mouth dry
- Hormonal shifts brought on by pregnancy or birth control use
Diagnosis
Dentists, dental hygienists, and periodontists—gum specialists—work to distinguish between gingivitis and periodontitis when diagnosing gum disease. There are multiple steps involved in this:
- Medical history and evaluation: Your dental professional will inquire about your food habits, medications you take, and personal and family medical history in order to determine your risk for gum disease and determine the root reasons of the problem.
- Routine examination: Your dentist will examine your teeth to look for signs of gum disease. An examination is usually sufficient to identify gum disease symptoms. Your dentist will evaluate the gaps between your teeth and gums with a periodontal probe in addition to a visual examination.
- Imaging: Your dentist may also take a dental X-ray to determine the type of gum disease you have and to evaluate the extent of any tooth or bone damage.
Gum Disease Stages
Your condition will be staged by dental professionals to assist direct your treatment plan. The course of treatment for each individual is determined by their gum disease stage and symptoms. The phases consist of:
- Stage 1 (gingivitis): The pockets surrounding teeth measure one to two millimeters (mm), and bone loss is only visible above the gum line and is minimal.
- Stage 2 (mild periodontitis): The loss of bone is more widespread and impacts the top portion of the teeth, resulting in 3 to 4 mm-sized pockets between the gums and teeth.
- Stage 3 (moderate periodontitis): Pockets are at least 5 mm deep, and bone loss occasionally results in tooth loss in the lower regions of the teeth.
- Stage 4 (advanced periodontitis): There are five or more missing teeth, pockets that are five millimeters or larger, indications of severe bone loss, and symptoms including trouble chewing
Gum Disease Treatment
Eliminating plaque and tartar from your teeth and reducing inflammation are the two main objectives of gum disease treatment. The intensity of your symptoms and ailment will determine the specific course of treatment for you.
Dental Cleaning
Gingivitis can be treated by periodontists, dental hygienists, or dentists. Dental cleaning is the first line of treatment for gum disease in its early stages. They will also advise consistent use of toothbrushes and floss. Additionally, in order to get rid of tartar and promote gum healing, your dentist might recommend more regular cleaning sessions.
Scaling and Root Planning
Dental professionals employ scaling and root planning as techniques to remove plaque and tartar. Scaling is the process of removing tartar from your teeth both above and below the gum line with specialized equipment. Dentists can remove tartar and plaque from the tooth’s root by using root planning.
Medications
If you’re having a dental operation like root planning, your dentist may also give you some medicine. Among the popular drugs for gum disease are:
- Paroex Oral Rinse (chlorhexidine): An antibacterial mouthwash with a prescription
- PerioChip (gelatin with chlorhexidine): An antibacterial chip that you can place in your gums’ pocket
- Atridox (doxycycline): One kind of gel antibiotic
- Arestine (minocycline): A microsphere of antibiotics that you can insert into the spaces between your teeth and gums
- Vibramycin (doxycycline): An oral drug that lowers inflammation and infection
Surgery
In cases of gum disease that are extremely advanced or challenging to treat, surgeries could be required. In order to better access areas of the teeth where tartar buildup has developed at the root and below the gum line, flap surgery entails removing pieces of the gums. After that, the tissue is sewn—or sutured—back into position.
Surgical procedures involving bone and tissue grafting restore damaged bone structure and promote gum regrowth. To replace lost bone in your mouth, a dental surgeon will perform a bone transplant using either artificial bone or bone taken from other parts of your body. They can also apply a tiny mesh-like substance between the tooth and gum to promote regrowth in order to treat missing tissue. Additionally, they have the ability to remove gum tissue from other locations of your mouth and sew it to the damaged areas.
Ways to Avoid Gum Disease
Maintaining good oral hygiene is the primary strategy for preventing gum disease because it stops plaque and tartar from building. Among the preventative actions you can do are:
- Brushing your teeth twice a day for a minimum of two minutes
- Using a water flosser or plastic pick to floss every day to get rid of food particles and bacteria in between teeth
- Giving up smoking or staying away from chewing tobacco
- Applying mouthwash with antimicrobial properties
- Seeing your dentist or dental hygienist for routine dental cleanings and examinations
Complications
The most frequent outcome of untreated gum disease is tooth loss. This happens when the inflammatory gums recede and the tooth structures and underlying bone are destroyed. In addition to spreading and deteriorating your dental health, gum infections can lead to the following side effects:
- Abscesses are sore, infected pus pockets that develop as a result of an infection.
- Teeth that shift or migrate
- Exposed tooth roots
Additionally, researchers have connected gum disease to a number of other illnesses:
- Heart attack
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Stroke
- Pregnancy complications, such as a low birth weight
A Quick Review
Gum inflammation, bleeding, swelling, and discomfort are symptoms of gum disease. The most common cause of this illness is inadequate hygiene. Gingivitis, or stage one gum disease, and periodontitis, or stages two to four gum disease, are the two main forms of gum disease. Early gum disease therapy lowers the chance of problems like tooth loss. tooth professionals advise getting frequent tooth cleanings as well as brushing and flossing twice a day to prevent this problem.