Just as a house is built on a solid foundation, your gums act as the foundation for your teeth. When your gum health is in jeopardy, your teeth are at risk. Here's what you need to know about periodontal health and how to protect your smile.
What is Periodontal Disease?
Periodontal (gum) disease is an infection of the soft tissues and bones that support and surround your teeth. When you fail to successfully remove plaque build-up from your teeth daily, it hardens into a substance called tartar, which can irritate your gums, causing them to become inflamed and bleed. The infection eventually destroys your teeth's primary support system, resulting in tooth loss.
Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults over thirty.
The Oral Systemic Link
Another reason it's so important to manage your dental health and keep gum disease at bay is that it's inextricably linked to other systemic health concerns in your body, such as:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Dementia
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
- Complications during pregnancy
You are more susceptible to developing these concerns when you have gum disease and vice versa. Thus, protecting your oral health has never been more critical, as it also protects your overall health and well-being.
Treating Gum Disease
Gingivitis is the early stage of gum disease. During this stage, you may notice your gums bleeding while you brush your teeth or chronic bad breath that doesn't go away. Patients with gingivitis may successfully reverse their condition with thorough professional teeth cleaning and improvements to their home care routine.
Periodontitis is an advanced gum disease, and patients with it may notice tooth mobility and discomfort when chewing and eating. Unfortunately, there is no cure at this stage, but a deeper cleaning called scaling and root planing is needed to manage it. Severe cases may require gum surgery.
From periodontal treatment to orthodontics in Casuarina, NT, our team can help!