Gum Disease Can Be Prevented

How much do you value your own dental health? Oral pain is a great motivator and chances are that if you are experiencing tooth aches or embarrassed about the appearance of your teeth, you will put much more weight into keeping you orally healthy. Don’t take your dental health for granted if you are not yet feeling the pain. You might not experience it today, but neglecting oral care could lead to serious problems like gum disease. Let’s assume you may have already developed some form of gum disease. The next action to take is to definitely seek out dental practitioner that has some experience with gum disease. Perhaps some of your symptoms are sensitivity to hot and cold foods? Perhaps smaller food particles like sesame seeds are getting in between your teeth and gums? That would definitely mess up your cravings for some of your favorite foods. Ever hear of the expression, “A stitch in time saves nine”? Oral surgery can definitely end up with you having a few stitches added to repair gum disease that could have been prevented.

For this article, we will reference two types of gum disease that you need to watch out for. Gingivitis and Periodontitis are two of the more common gum conditions that can be prevented. To understand more about these diseases, let us describe and differentiate the two.

What is Gingivitis?

• It is the inflammation of the gums.
• Gingivitis is the result of plaque deposits that not being removed during normal oral hygiene activities like brushing and flossing.
• Plaque and tarter get trapped at the base of the tooth and irritate the gums if left there. Bacteria collect in the widening pockets between the tooth and gums.

What happens when you have gingivitis?

• Bacteria produces toxins that causes gum infection and makes the infected area swollen, tender and very uncomfortable.
• Gingivitis often leads to periodontitis if left untreated by a professional.

It is advisable to seek the help from a gum disease expert as soon as you notice signs of gingivitis to keep it from progressing into a much more serious case.
What is Periodontitis?

• Periodontitis is a progressive case of an unattended gingivitis where the periodontium and or the bone surrounding the teeth are infected and begin to break down
• The progressive destruction of the bone and cementum (lower tooth) is a result of advanced periodontitis
• Once this happen, the teeth socket is somehow destroyed and the teeth eventually falls off.

Once a case of periodontitis occurs and your tooth socket weakens to a severe point, you may need to consult a bone grafting dentist if your case has escalated to a point of bone degeneration And your are now at a point of needing oral reconstructive surgery (in Newtown).

Though the main cause of gum disease is plaque buildup, there are other factors behind this as well. Here are a few:

• Hormonal changes in women can make the gums to be more sensitive.
• Illnesses like cancer or HIV lowers down the immune system affecting the gum’s condition.
• Some medications can sometime affect your oral health as a side effect.
• Bad habits like smoking, interferes with the gums ability to heal on its own.
• Poor oral hygiene builds up plaque in the teeth, and as mentioned, plaque is the main source of gum diseases.
• Genetics is another factor considered by most specialists in causing gum disease. If a family has a lot of history with regard to gum diseases, then it could be passed on from one generation to the other.

When gum diseases become so severe, many people may consult an aesthetic dentist in Philadelphia when a Philadelphia Periodontist is the more appropriate specialist for treating gum disease. Most gum disease experts in Bucks County agree that the best dental treatment for gum disease is preventative attention to daily oral hygiene and regular checkups.