Periodontal disease: proper dental care can prevent or reverse the disease.
Prevent tooth loss - and protect yourself against more serious health conditions - by getting early treatment for periodontal disease.
According to the Mayo Clinic, nearly 80 percent of American adults have some type of gum - or periodontal disease . The most common of these diseases is gingivitis, which occurs when bacteria builds up between teeth and gums; gingivitis symptoms include gum irritation, inflammation and bleeding.
People prone to gingivitis include:
- Diabetics who do not have the disease under control
- Pregnant women or women taking birth control pills
- People taking certain medications, including steroids
- People with lowered immune systems
The treatment of gingivitis is straightforward and includes daily brushing and flossing and professional dental care appointments at least twice a year.
A more serious form of periodontal disease has been linked to increased risks of heart attacks, strokes, low birth weight babies and diabetes.
A condition called periodontitis destroys soft tissue and bone in the mouth, which can lead to tooth loss. If a person does not obtain treatment for this disease, it may lead to tooth loss and other health-related problems.
Periodontal treatment can be noninvasive and can include scaling (removing tartar and bacteria from teeth and gums) and root planing (smoothing the tooth root surfaces, to remove a gathering place for tartar and bacteria), along with locally applied antibiotics. Coupled with good at-home dental care, this non-surgical periodontal treatment may resolve the problem.
Periodontal treatment for more advanced stages of the disease may involve surgical scaling, known as flap surgery; soft tissue grafts; bone grafting; and guided tissue regeneration.
If a patient smokes, it is recommended that a cessation program be implemented as part of the treatment for periodontal disease.