Gum Health

Are you getting:

• Persistent swollen and tender red gums that sometime bleeds when you brush or floss?
• Sensitive teeth every time you have an ice-cream or a cold drink?
• Complaints from your partner about your bad breath.
• A funny taste in your mouth.
• A moving tooth that is so loose you feel like you can pull it out with your own fingers?

All of these are indications that you may be suffering from gum disease.

Gum disease (also known as periodontal disease) affects most people at some time during their life. It may affect one or more teeth at any time. Because it is usually not painful, most people do not notice it until an oral health professional diagnoses it. Sometimes that may be too late. Periodontal disease is the inflammation and infection of gums caused by bacteria in your mouth. There is a constant build up of naturally occurring bacteria in your mouth through bio-films, a technical name for how bacteria interact and stick together. Everyday eating, drinking and cleaning have an affect on how it sticks to your teeth. Over a period of time, if the plaque is not removed effectively, it hardens to form calculus, also commonly know as tartar. Poor oral hygiene results in plaque and calculus forming and subsequently irritates the gums and causes inflammation and infection. Inflammation is a natural body response to a foreign body. Think of it like a splinter: the calculus/ tartar is a splinter on your gums; your body reacts to it (by having a swollen and redness appearance) the gums also move away from the splinter, which may be seen as receeding gums.

Early stages of gum diseases
The most common form of early gum disease is gingivitis. Simply practicing good oral hygiene can reverse the damage that is caused by gingivitis. The characteristics of gingivitis include red and swollen gum that bleeds easily. The condition is treatable by thorough daily brushing and flossing with the correct techniques.

Advanced stages of gum disease
When gingivitis is left untreated, it can often lead to periodontitis where bacterial infection starts. The result of these is damage to the supporting structures of the tooth and it is irreversible. The supporting structures are the gums, and the supporting bone. The weakening of the gum margin creates susceptible areas for more bacteria and more plaque and calculus to enter and form. This creates what we call a periodontal pocket where the fibres connecting the tooth with its surrounding bone are destroyed. This may result in the tooth becoming loose if it reaches an advance stage. If left untreated, loss of the tooth can occur with possible spread of infection to other teeth.

How and Why do we treat Periodontitis?
So that you can keep your teeth for life and have a better and healthier smile, we need to treat periodontal disease early. Unfortunately, the damage done by periodontitis cannot be reversed, like gingivitis; however, the disease process can be stopped. Receding gums and sensitivity of teeth are common results of periodontitis even after treatment. The removal of bacterial deposits by a specialist, dentist or a dental hygienist may control the disease progress but unfortunately it does not promote growth of bone or reattachment of gums. After root planing treatment (a deeper scaling to get to the badly affected areas), gums will firm up to support the tooth, however, if good oral hygiene is not maintained, gum disease will return. Hence, continuing care with regular visits to the dentist or dental hygienist is very important in order to prevent, monitor and control periodontal diseases. Sometimes, a specialist is required to manage the periodontal disease. It is really dependant on when the disease is diagnosed and how it needs to be managed.

Still not sure about gum diseases?
If you have any questions about gum diseases, why not give us a call and book in to see a hygienist or our dentist? Did you know that periodontal disease has been linked with heart disease and diabetes? Tobacco users are at a higher risk of periodontal diseases. Pregnancy, puberty, stress or medication can be factors that contribute to the progression of gum diseases. Stop guessing. Organise an appointment with one of our fully qualified oral health professionals to assess and manage your mouth for you.