Cosmetic Dentist Fort Worth ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GUM DISEASE

Often, when one develops a dental disease, it seemingly attacks suddenly and without warning. However, the truth is most dental diseases take a long time to develop and before the first toothache occurs, a series of events has occurred within the teeth. It is thus vital to know the common dental diseases and how they develop. The focal concern in this article is gum disease.

Otherwise known as periodontal disease, this is a dental infection which affects the tissue and bones which provide support to the teeth. The lack of treating this condition progresses to loose and painful teeth which lead to the loss of those teeth. Older people are at a high risk of developing gum disease, but younger people are also prone to it, as well as teens who may experience less serious problems such as bad breath.

Gum disease is usually caused by plaque accumulating in the mouth cavity. Plaque comprises living and dead bacteria which for m an invisible sticky film on the teeth and gums. In the event that it is not regularly removed, plaque hardens and becomes very hard within two weeks. The health of the gums is, in addition to plaque, affected by a variety of other factors. These include: smoking, hormonal changes associated with pregnancy and menopause in women, certain medications, stress, diabetes, teeth grinding, poor nutrition and obesity.

Gum disease occurs in a series of steps. The least serious of these is called gingivitis. The warning symptoms of gingivitis include bleeding of the gums when brushing or flossing the teeth, gum tenderness, and discoloration. Here, healthy gums will appear pink and firm rather than red and swollen.

The next and more advanced form of gum disease is periodontitis. If dental plaque is not removed in time and hardens, it will turn into a substance called tartar or calculus. Tartar begins to destroy the gum tissue rapidly, causing the gums to pull away from the teeth. A kind of pocket around their base is formed. Bacteria then wrecks these pockets and this leads to the destruction of gum tissue and the jaw bone. Eventually, this results in the loosening of the teeth and their subsequent falling out.

The treatment of this condition involves the removal of plaque and tartar from the teeth through deep cleaning methods such as scaling and root planning. It is also recommended that medication is taken along with scaling and root planning depending on how the condition progresses. Particular antibiotics get rid of the bacteria and stop the infection and inflammation from spreading in the mouth.

Advanced types of periodontitis may necessitate surgical intervention. This may be necessitated by the gum tissue being destroyed beyond repair. The most commonly prescribed procedures are soft tissue grafts, crown lengthening, regenerative treatment, and pocket reduction procedures. The dentist has to open and clean the gum pockets, then stitch the gum tissue back into the right place around the teeth.