What is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease is the number one reason for tooth loss, even over tooth decay or trauma. In its early stages, gum disease is often referred to as gingivitis. If you notice that your gums bleed slightly or are sensitive when you brush and floss your teeth, you are likely among the hundreds of thousands of Americans in the early stages of periodontitis.

Over time, irritated gums pull away from the teeth and pockets form between the gum and the tooth, allowing bacteria to gain a foothold. This causes further irritation, and the pockets become deeper as gum tissue becomes diseased and shrinks further. The cycle continues, and eventually teeth can become loose as the supporting bone in the jaw also becomes infected and begins to dissolve.

A patient is considered to have advanced periodontal disease when the pockets are extremely deep, infection is almost constant, and tooth loss has begun. As teeth fall out, the supporting structure of the arch is destroyed, and the result is the gradual loss of adjacent teeth. The bone of the jaw continues to deteriorate, and eventually the patient is left edentulous (toothless).

Do I have Gum Disease?

Common early indicators of gum disease include bad breath (halitosis), sensitivity and/or bleeding of the gums when brushing or flossing, gums shrinking away from the teeth, and red, irritated, or swollen gums. However, periodontal disease can exist and spread even when no obvious symptoms are present.

Dr. Wallace can check for gum disease by examining your gums and teeth, looking for calculus (tartar) below the gumline, and measuring the depth of periodontal pockets – the space between the gum and the tooth it surrounds.

Periodontal disease can often be prevented with a strict oral hygiene routine that includes brushing and flossing at least twice daily and seeing a dentist every six months for a cleaning. If gingivitis or periodontitis occurs, you can see Dr. Wallace and have scaling and root planing, also known as a  “deep cleaning”, to remove buildup of plaque and calculus below the gumline.

If needed, surgical therapy can also be done to remove traces of plaque and bacteria, and antibiotics maybe be administered to deepened gum pockets to get rid of infection. Gingivitus can often be reversed by these treatments and the institution of an at-home oral health regimen. We can also arrest the effects of periodontitis and prevent further progession in most cases.