Periodontist

What is Gum Disease?

Periodontal diseasedevelops when there is plaque, food debris, and saliva are left on the teeth and gums. It is the inflammation of the gums that destroy the bone in your gums and affect its health. The gum’s health is at risk when there are bacteria in the form of an acid present. This acid can destroy the bone slowly and over time which is why brushing and flossing regularly will minimize any leftover plaque that remains on teeth. How can you be sure you are not at risk of developing periodontal disease?

What Are The Gum Diseases Risk Factors?

Poor Oral Hygiene:

您不仅可以得到蛀牙和蛀牙,但是poor oral hygiene can put you at risk for periodontal disease. It is not a good thing to ignore brushing and flossing as it can pose a serious risk to your health. Unfortunately, the mouth is the most overlooked part of the body. Neglecting oral hygiene has a bigger impact on your health than you think. Just think, plaque buildup can be a challenge to get off your teeth after a certain period of time. Then there are bacteria that are doing your health more harm than good. When you shrug off proper oral hygiene you may have a few cavities that you have also neglected to get treated. The problem may turn into something worse. Things like increased risk for stroke and heart attack are some of the additional problems that may result in poor oral hygiene.

Smoking and Chewing Tobacco:

Smoking and chewing tobacco not only stain your teeth but users are more likely to form plaque and tartar on teeth. Did you know that smoking is the leading cause of severe gum disease in the United States? When you smoke your body’s immune system gradually weakens and becomes unable to fight off infections including gum disease infections. A disadvantage of smoking is that when you actively smoke your body takes longer to heal including your gums.

Dental Conditions:

Dental conditions are a cause for concern when trying to prevent periodontal disease. Plaque plays a major part in acquiring this disease. Extra precaution should be taken if you have crowded teeth, loose bridges, or fillings that are defective. These conditions make it extremely easy for plaque and bacteria to come in and sit on these things leading to plaque buildup.

Medications:

Medications, including prescriptions, may come with the side effect of dry mouth. The saliva is reduced which opens the door to plaque spreading to the teeth and gums.

Hormone Level Changes:

Things like pregnancy, contraceptives, and even puberty can alter your hormone levels. When your hormone levels change it puts your gums at risk for sensitivity. Your gums become prone to bacteria and its toxins.

Diseases That Weaken Immune System:

Diseases like diabetes, blood disorders, and HIV/AIDs weaken your immune system, therefore, the body takes excessively longer to heal.

Genetics:

Genetics play a huge part when determining who is at risk for major or minor diseases. In this case of determining risk factors for periodontal disease, if you have a history of tooth loss in your family you should pay special attention to the gums.

Signs and Symptoms of Periodontal Disease:

Red, bleeding or Puffy Gums:

A sign of unhealthy gums are gums that appear red or puffy. Gums should not bleed easily. In this case, the bleeding is caused by unhealthy gums and no matter how sensitive you are with them. If your gums bleed easily when you floss this is a concern that needs to be brought up to your dentist. Your gums should never appear red, puffy, or swollen.

Bad Breath:

Bad breaththat persists is a sign of periodontal disease. The matter of bad breath is usually caused by bacteria in the mouth. In this case, it may seem that no matter how many times you brush your teeth, no matter how many mints you pop into your mouth bad breath still occurs. If you have tried every breath treatment you can think of and bad breath still won’t go away consult your dentists.

Spacing Between Teeth:

Spacing between teeth may be caused by bone loss. If you have any concerns about the spacing between your teeth a dentist will be able to tell you if you have any bone loss.

Loose teeth:

Loose teeth can also be merged with bone loss. Loose teeth can link back to poor gum health. If bone loss isn’t an issue with your loose teeth the periodontal fibers which support the teeth to the bone.

The Occurrence of Pus:

Pus is never really a good sign of anything. If you see pus around your teeth or gums it is a sign to you that there is an infection that needs to be treated as soon as possible.

Receding Gums:

Receding gums是最受欢迎的牙周疾病的迹象。Receding gums means there is a loss of gums around a tooth. Receding gums can make it seem like your teeth appear longer than normal.

Tenderness and Discomfort:

Tenderness and discomfort are caused by plaque and bacteria that get into your gums and irritate gums and teeth.