What is periodontal disease?
This is also known as gum disease and is a common condition among adults. It occurs when an infection spreads to the gums. Many people have gum disease without realizing it because it starts out very mildly that you may not even notice symptoms.
What are the different types of gum disease and symptoms?
The disease occurs in several stages. The first is gingivitis where the infection leads to reddening of the gums, sensitivity, bad breath, possible swelling and maybe even bleeding. Not all these symptoms appear and mostly it may go unnoticed. Gingivitis is reversible but if left untreated it can progress to periodontitis. This is a non-reversible condition and the worst case scenario is devastating on oral health. You may lose most of your teeth and your jawbone density due to this. You will also experience receding of the gum and formation of deep pockets in the gum, associated with teeth. Therefore it is important to get medical help if you are facing gingivitis symptoms.
What are the causative factors?
- hormonal changes
- bad oral hygiene
- family history
- bad habits such as smoking
- Some medications
Sometimes several causes are implicated in gum disease. Ultimately what causes gum disease is buildup of plaque on tooth surface and its eventual hardening into tartar. When this happens your mouth becomes a breeding ground for harmful bacteria which try to attack the teeth and the gums and can even destroy the jawbone.
How is gum disease treated?
Little Elm periodontal disease treatment involves maintaining oral health on a consistent basis. Without this it is not possible to contain the disease. Professional dental cleaning is also needed. Root scaling and planning is a technique that is used for periodontitis, when deep gum pockets have formed. The method cleans the pockets removing debris. A local anesthetic is used for patient comfort. Surgical methods need to be resorted to if gum disease is severe. This includes bone grafts, pocket reduction surgery, soft tissue grafts, guided tissue regeneration and bone surgery. At this stage jawbone density is reduced and every effort is made to avoid tooth loss.
Website: http://www.friscoelmdental.com/
Phone: (214) 705-7100
Address: 2043 FM 423 #100, Little Elm,TX 75068
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