Signs of Periodontal Disease & Treatment Options

 

Along with dental decay, periodontal disease is one of the biggest oral problems that we face. Also known by other names including gum disease, gingivitis, and periodontitis depending on the stage it has progressed to, this inflammatory condition will mildly affect the majority of people at some point during their lifetime. Fortunately, if it is detected early on and treated promptly, the initial symptoms can be reversed before there is any permanent damage to your oral health.

 

Education is key to early identification and treatment and one of the best ways to tackle periodontal disease is to understand the symptoms it causes and what treatment is available should you suffer from it in the future.

 

Signs of Periodontal Disease

 

The signs of periodontal disease tend to develop slowly over months and even years, and when they do become apparent, they are mild and easily ignored. Unfortunately, this leads to many people overlooking them rather than getting the dental help they need early on and before there is any further damage to their oral health. In its earliest stages, periodontal disease causes:

  • Red, swollen gums

  • Bleeding when you brush your teeth

  • Bleeding when you floss your teeth

  • You may also notice bleeding when you eat something particularly hard

 

The tricky thing about periodontal disease is that once it progresses, these symptoms may go away for a short while before returning again and being accompanied by a range of other unpleasant problems including:

  • Persistent bad breath

  • Gums that feel sore to the touch

  • Chewing becomes painful

  • Your teeth may be particularly sensitive to hot/cold foods and drinks

  • Your teeth may look longer than usual

  • You may notice the gum tissue pulling away from the base of the teeth

  • Your teeth appear loose

  • You notice pus around the base of one or more teeth

 

If you notice any of these symptoms, it is imperative that you seek the advice of your dentist as soon as possible. Failure to do so could result in tooth loss, deterioration of the bone in the jaw and even wider health problems, since the bacteria that cause periodontal disease enters the bloodstream and moves around the body to organs and other structures. Research has shown that patients with diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and even some cancers are more likely to have periodontal disease and poor oral hygiene.

 

Treatment for Periodontal Disease

 

If you suspect you may have periodontal disease, your dentist will assess the health and condition of your teeth to make a formal diagnosis. This will involve several elements, including checking the depth of the periodontal pockets, which are the gaps between the teeth and gum tissue. In a healthy mouth, these are usually between 1-3mm deep. However, if your periodontal pocket depth is greater than this, you could have gum disease.

 

The main goal of treatment for periodontal disease is to clean the teeth of any plaque and tartar to prevent any further spread of bacteria on to the soft tissues of the gums. You will be offered a professional dental clean during which your dentist and/or hygienist will use professional tools to thoroughly clean every millimeter of your teeth and gums. Following this, you may then be recommended to have a professional dental clean every 6 months to try and retain the cleanliness of your teeth, with you following a strict brushing and flossing regime at home too.

 

If there is plaque below the gum line, you may need a treatment called scaling and root planing. This is another deep clean that is carried out under local anesthetic since if involves lifting the gum tissue away from the teeth so that all bacteria can be removed from the periodontal pockets. The rough spots on the tooth are then smoothed so that bacteria cannot cling to them and the gum tissue can reattach successfully to the tooth.


 

Surgery for Periodontal Disease

 

If your periodontal disease has become advanced, you may need a surgical procedure to treat your gum disease. There are several options available depending on the extent of the damage that you have suffered to your teeth and oral health. These include but are not limited to:

 

  • Pocket reduction surgery. This is designed to close the periodontal pockets so that no further debris can be trapped, decreasing the area where harmful bacteria can grow and cause infection.

  • Bone grafts. This process involves using your own bone or artificial bone to restore bone in the jaw that may have been destroyed by periodontal disease. Many patients have bone grafts before undergoing dental implant surgery to replace missing teeth.

  • Soft tissue grafting. Like bone grafting, this involves taking soft tissue from another part of your body and using it to replace gum tissue that has receded.

 

Your dentist will be able to advise you on what treatment is most suitable for you based on your individual requirements. For more information about anything we have covered in this blog post, or to schedule a consultation to discuss your concerns, please contact our offices in Los Angeles, CA.

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