Your 100 Mile House Invisalign Provider
Periodontics & Gum Health
What is Gum Disease?
Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is a common concern for many patients. Despite maintaining good oral hygiene at home, it can still develop over time.
Gums form a protective seal around your teeth, shielding the sensitive roots underneath. No matter the condition of your teeth, healthy gums are crucial for keeping them supported. Gum disease develops when the tissues that hold your teeth in place become infected, often due to the buildup of plaque, which can harm the gums over time.
- Symptoms of Gum Disease
At times, you may not notice any symptoms of gum disease. However, some patients might experience symptoms that include:
- Receding gums
- Bleeding in your gums
- Persistent bad breath
- Red or purple gums
- Sore or swollen gums
- Diagnosis
To diagnose gum disease, your dentist will measure the depth of the pockets around each tooth. Pockets deeper than 3mm are considered hazardous and will usually need treatment.
Regular dental exams give your dentist the chance to detect gum disease early and take preventive measures.
- Treatment
To treat gum disease, your dentist will remove bacteria and debris that can accumulate in pockets around your teeth.
The process of eliminating bacteria usually requires multiple visits to our office. This bacteria lives at a microscopic level. The process can be pretty meticulous.
Once bacteria have been removed, your dentist must clean and maintain these pockets regularly. Otherwise, bacteria will come back and begin to damage the bone.
- Long-Term Care
Generally, if you have experienced gum or periodontal disease, you will always need to pay extra attention to your oral health.
Along with maintaining diligent hygiene at home, it's essential to visit us for regular cleanings to prevent the bone in your mouth and jaw from receding.
After the initial issue is treated, we will recommend that you attend periodontal maintenance appointments every three to four months.
Periodontal Specialists for 100 Mile House Patients
If your periodontitis is advanced, we may refer you to a periodontist for specialized treatment and management of periodontal disease.
Stages of Gum Disease
Gum disease is a progressive condition, which means that without treatment, it can worsen over time and lead to significant issues affecting both your oral and overall health. The stages of gum disease include:
- Gingivitis
Bacteria that hasn't been removed from gums and teeth can grow out of control and produce toxins that irritate the gums.
When calculus, also known as plaque, develops along the gum line, it creates a rough surface where more can accumulate. This leads to irritation and swelling, resulting in bad breath or sore, bleeding gums.
Spaces between gum and teeth pockets can develop, but no bone damage occurs in this mild, reversible stage of periodontal disease.
Regular hygiene cleanings and exams are critical for maintaining the health of your gums. They also give your dentist the chance to check for developing gum disease.
- Periodontitis
Periodontitis is located beneath the gum line. The most common cause of this condition is plaque and plaque buildup.
This condition can result in the breakdown of ligaments, causing the gums to detach and pull away from the teeth. As the pockets deepen, they fill with more bacteria, and the bone's supportive ligaments start to become damaged, resulting in loose teeth.
- Advanced Periodontitis
The advanced stage of periodontitis results in deep pockets that can occasionally become filled with pus. Swelling may occur around the root, along with increased bone loss, contributing to loose teeth.
Tooth extraction may be a necessary remedy to preserve your general oral health.
Surgical Gum Therapy (Gum Grafting)
In a gum graft procedure, a periodontist takes a small piece of tissue from the roof of your mouth and places it in the area where more gum coverage is needed.
The tissue is attached with a special adhesive that adheres to and protects the new graft, allowing for healing to occur. The specialized adhesive also protects the roof of your mouth. This area will need a few days to heal following the procedure.
Follow-up appointments are necessary to ensure that the surgical site is healing properly.