Your oral hygiene habits do not only take care of your teeth. They encompass all organs that are concerned with your oral health. Poor oral hygiene habits can lead to diseases that can harm your gums. Your gums, also known as the gingiva, are the areas from which your teeth emerge. They are pink in color when in good health, and they cover and secure all the teeth in the mouth. Improper care of the mouth causes your gums to swell, become inflamed, and irritated. When this occurs, it leads to periodontal disease, which causes severe pain.
Periodontal disease, also known as periodontitis, is a severe gum infection that damages your gums and can lead to severe tooth infections if left untreated. Periodontitis is an advanced stage of gingivitis. Gingivitis occurs when your gums are inflamed and irritated from dental plaques that form due to poor oral hygiene. When gingivitis is left untreated, it becomes periodontitis. Periodontitis is the worst stage of gum disease that leads to tooth loss and puts you at risk of medical health conditions like heart and lung diseases.
What Causes Periodontal Disease?
Periodontal disease majorly happens when you neglect your oral health hygiene habits. Oral hygiene habits like regular brushing and flossing go a long way to protect you from dental infections and diseases. Poor oral hygiene allows dental plaques to accumulate and cause havoc. Dental plaques are slimy films of bacteria formed due to a relationship between your saliva, food particles in your mouth, and bacteria. Dental plaques feed on starchy/sugary foods to produce acids. These acids and tartar (hardened plaque) cause inflammation and irritation of the gums.
Another cause of periodontal diseases is hormonal changes. Hormonal changes during pregnancy, menopause, puberty, and menstruation make the gums more sensitive, making it easier for gingivitis to develop. Diseases such as HIV and cancer affect your immune system and may affect the condition of your gums. Other risk factors for developing periodontal diseases include tobacco use, genetics, weak immunity, poor nutrition, old age, dry mouth, poor dental restorations, vitamin C deficiency, etc.
How Do You Know When You Have Periodontal Diseases?
The following are symptoms of periodontal diseases:
- Pockets of pus between the teeth and the gums (abscess).
- Bleeding of the gums.
- Pain and discomfort while chewing.
- Loss of teeth.
- Halitosis (Bad breath).
- Swelling of the gums.
- Severe toothache.
- Receding gums and exposed tooth roots.
Whenever you see any of these symptoms, you should see a dentist in Pompano Beach or any dentist near you for diagnosis and treatment.
Treatment Methods For Periodontal Diseases
There are two methods of treatment if you seek periodontal treatment near you. These include:
Non-Surgical Treatments
Treatment methods for gum disease that do not involve surgery include:
Professional Dental Cleaning
Our Dentist might try to reverse the effects of periodontal diseases by removing plaques and tartar through professional dental cleaning. While this is not a treatment for advanced periodontal disease, it prevents your gingivitis from becoming periodontitis.
Scaling And Root Planing In Periodontal Disease Treatment
This non-surgical procedure involves a deep cleaning whereby dental plaques and tartar from above and below the gum line are scraped away (scaling), and rough spots on your tooth are smoothened (planing) a dentist in 33062 with you under the influence of a local anesthetic. Root planing removes bacteria and helps the gum reattach to the teeth by providing a clean surface.
Surgical Procedures In Periodontal Disease Treatment
Surgical treatments for treating periodontal disease include:
- Bone Graft involves replacing bones destroyed by gum disease with fragments of your bone from a part of your body, a synthetic bone, or a donated bone.
- Pocket reduction surgery: This involves lifting the gums and removing the tartar. This reduces the space between the gum and tooth, thereby reducing hiding places for bacteria.
- Tissue regeneration: This stimulates bone and gum tissue growth when the bone supporting the teeth has been destroyed.
- Soft tissue grafts: This involves filling receded gums with grafted tissue mostly taken from the roof of the mouth.