The daily monotonous task of brushing and flossing your teeth has never been more important in order to avoid gum disease and reduce the risks gum disease places on your overall health.
It has been estimated that 75% of North Americans have some form of gum disease which can be linked to serious health complications and causes dental problems that are avoidable.
There are three main stages of gum disease:
Stage 1: Gingivitis
Gingivitis is the earliest stage of gum disease and is caused by plaque build-up around the gum line which causes inflammation of the gums. If you neglect to brush or floss your teeth daily, this plaque build-up will trap bacteria and cause gum disease. Gingivitis causes inflammation of the gums. Gums that should otherwise be pink will appear red and swollen; you could experience bleeding when you brush or floss. However, at this point, gingivitis can still be reversed. The bone and fibers that hold your teeth in place have not yet been affected.
Stage 2: Periodontitis
If gingivitis is left untreated, the condition will become periodontitis. At this stage, the supporting bones and fibers that hold your teeth in place have been irreversibly damaged. Your gums begin to form “pockets,” deep hollow areas around the teeth that trap food, plaque, and bacteria. Your gums will recede and form gaps between your teeth. Immediate treatment is necessary to prevent further damage and tooth loss.
Stage 3: Advanced Periodontitis
In this final stage, periodontitis has been left untreated and has become advanced periodontitis. Bacteria that was allowed to grow, spread, and cause destruction has destroyed the connective tissues and bones that support the teeth. The pockets that formed in the previous stage have become much deeper. Your teeth can shift or loosen. Loose teeth that move around in the mouth may affect your bite. At this state, aggressive treatment is needed to save the teeth.
Treatment of periodontal disease
There are two phases in the treatment of periodontal disease: the active phase and the maintenance phase. In the active phase of treatment, we eliminate plaque, which is the major cause of periodotal disease. Plaque removal may take one or a number of visits since it often hardens to produce tartar (or calculus). In more advanced cases, surgical methods may be needed to remove plaque and tartar from below the gumline, smooth the root surfaces, and reduce the pockets that have formed around the teeth. At the conclusion of active treatment, the next phase is maintenance therapy. The goal of the maintenance phase is to keep you in an optimum state of oral health. Maintenance therapy is tailored to meet the needs of each patient.
