HOW SERIOUS IS THE PERIODONTAL DISEASE?

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Periodontal disease can become a very serious problem if you don’t get it treated early. It can lead to serious infection and bone loss. You may even lose your teeth.

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Periodontal disease is easily treatable if caught in early stages. So, the answer depends on the stage of the disease you are at, for example:

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Gingivitis

 

Your gums are red, tender and swollen and likely bleed easily on brushing, cleaning between the teeth or probing. You have gingivitis and may not notice any of these signs.

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Gum disease at this stage is usually reversible. You dentist or dental hygienist at Dunwin Dental can treat it during a regular professional cleaning followed up with your own good daily home oral hygiene by brushing and flossing your teeth. She can also give you tips on how you can keep your teeth and gums healthy.

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Mild to Moderate Periodontitis

 

Your teeth roots may be exposed and teeth may be sensitive. You gum tissue has begun to break down, mild to moderate bone loss has happened and your teeth begin to lose support. Plaque has hardened into tartar. It can happen around one or more of your teeth or in your entire mouth.

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At this stage, you may need a special deep cleaning called scaling and root planing. During scaling, your dentist or dental hygienist will carefully remove plaque and tartar down to the bottom of each pocket. Then she will clean and smooth your teeth’s root surfaces (root planing). Smoothing the surfaces helps your gums heal and reattach to the tooth, shrinking the pocket depth.

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Scaling and root planning may be only a first step in your periodontal treatment. You will need additional dental visit(s) to ensure that your treatment is succeeding.

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Advanced Periodontitis

 

Your teeth roots may be exposed and teeth pockets have deepened. Your gum tissue continues to break down and bone loss continues. Your teeth may become loose and fall out or need to be extracted. This stage is very serious and may require surgical treatment.

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If the pockets do not heal enough after scaling and root planing, you may need gum surgery, and/or bone grafting and guided tissue regeneration. 

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Once your gum disease is brought under control, it is very important that you get the recommended more extensive professional cleanings after your treatment. These cleanings and keeping up your oral care at home will help you keep your gums healthy.

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SYMPTOMS OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE

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If you have one or more of the following common warning signs, you may have periodontal disease (gum disease):

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• Your gums bleed when your brush or floss your teeth

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• Your gums are red, swollen, puffy or tender

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• Your gums no longer hug your teeth tightly

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• You have bad breadth or bad taste in your mouth that doesn’t go away

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• There are increasing spaces between your teeth

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• There is pus between your teeth and gums

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• You feel that your teeth are loose

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• There is a change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite

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• There is a change in the way your partial dentures fit

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RISK FACTORS OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE

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You are at a higher risk of getting periodontal disease if:

 

• You don’t take care of your teeth and gums, for example, not brushing your teeth twice a day and not flossing your teeth once a day

 

• You smoke, chew or dip tobacco of any kind

 

• You suffer from diseases that lower your body’s ability to fight infections

 

• You take steroids and blood pressure drugs

 

• You are pregnant, use of birth control pills and there are changes in your female hormone levels

 

• You have a family history of tooth loss

 

It is important to know that you have periodontal disease but may not have any warning signs at all. A sure way to know whether you have gum disease is to see a dentist at Dunwin Dental. To book an appointment, please

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• Phone at 905-828-1120;

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• Send an email to info@dunwindental.com;

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• Submit Contact Form;

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• Visit 2318 Dunwin Drive, Suite 9, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C7.

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PERIODONTAL DISEASE TREATMENT

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When you visit Dunwin Dental, your dentist will:

 

• Use a periodontal probe to gently measure how deep the pockets are around each of your teeth. Any pockets deeper than 3 millimeters may be of concern. Generally, the worse the disease, the deeper the pocket. Very deep pockets are a sign of advanced periodontal disease.

 

• Take x-rays to check for the amount of bone that is supporting your teeth. If your bone level is low, it could be sign of damage from gum disease.

 

• Discuss with you a treatment plan that works best for you

 

• Recommend a maintenance care schedule that is based on your personal case. Over time, more appointments may be necessary

 

• Refer you to a specialist (periodontist) for surgical treatment if you have advanced stage of periodontal disease

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Our dental hygienists are trained in periodontal procedures and wellness procedure that can help you improve dental hygiene and oral health.

 

Please keep in mind that gum disease can progress quite painlessly until it becomes a real problem. Regular oral exams can catch and treat the disease early and before it becomes serious. So, don’t wait till gum disease hurts. Periodontal disease won’t go away of its own.