The early symptoms of gum disease often go unnoticed. They’re not easy to spot nor do they cause pain and other symptoms that might be a cause for alarm. However, gum disease can have serious consequences, including tooth infection and abscess, infected and inflamed gums, and loss of teeth. There’s even medical evidence showing that gum disease affects your general health in potentially serious ways. The good news is that gum disease is treatable and preventable with good at-home oral care and help from your dentist.
Gum Disease Affects More than Your Oral Health
How gum disease develops
Gum disease develops in the mouth as a result of bacterial growth that is often due to poor dental hygiene. Bacteria that grow along the gum line feed on dietary sugar and deposit a sticky acidic substance called plaque on the teeth and gums. Plaque hardens into tartar if it’s not removed.
The bacterial infection of the gum line—along with the plaque and tartar—cause irritation, inflammation, redness, and tenderness of the gums. Often the gums will bleed after brushing. These are the early signs of gum disease, which is also known as gingivitis at this stage.
If the disease isn’t treated, it progresses to periodontal disease. Bacteria grow below the gum line and deposit plaque that hardens into tartar. The infection, together with the tartar growth, breaks down gum tissue, making the teeth looser. The infection may also spread to the teeth, causing abscesses. In the long term, advanced periodontal disease may cause tooth loss and infection of the jaw bone.
Gum disease and the rest of the body
The effects of gum disease are not limited to the mouth. New medical evidence shows that gum disease somehow affects the development of cardiovascular problems such as coronary artery disease. For instance, people with gum disease have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke due to coronary artery disease. In addition, people with gum disease who also have diabetes have a hard time controlling their blood sugar, in comparison to people who don’t have gum disease.
Comprehensive Treatment for Gum Disease
Prevention
Preventing gum disease can be as simple as a good daily oral hygiene routine, along with regular visits to your dentist. However, some people are more vulnerable to gum disease than others, which means there are no 100% foolproof prevention methods.
Treatment
If you notice any signs of gum disease—such as inflamed gums or bleeding after brushing your teeth—the best thing to do is see your dentist as soon as possible. Your dentist will examine your mouth and may recommend some treatments to treat the symptoms and remove the infection.
The most common treatment for gum disease is scaling and root planing. Scaling is a treatment that removes tartar and infection from your teeth and other areas below the gum line. Root planing may be performed as a follow-up to smooth out your tooth roots, as this makes it harder for bacteria to reoccurring infection in the area.
In extreme cases where deep infection has compromised the gums, a more advanced treatment may be needed. One example is a surgery called gingival flap surgery. In this procedure, the gums are separated from the teeth and folded back to expose the tooth roots. This helps the dentist remove the infection and perform additional procedures to improve the health of the teeth.
Avoid the Consequences of Gum Disease with Good Dental Care
Gum disease can have serious consequences—including an increased risk of heart disease as well as major oral health problems. Reduce your risk of gum disease complications with daily brushing and flossing, and regular visits to your dentist for preventative care.