I have Periodontal Disease… What is it?

Periodontal disease is the category given to those infections that occur in and around the teeth, specifically, the gums. Periodontal disease typically begins as gingivitis and will progress to periodontis if left untreated.

Periodontal disease can develop around any tooth. When plaque starts growing along the gum line, over time it can spread below the gums. As the bacteria that are part of plaque begin releasing toxins, the gums become irritated. In response to the irritation, the body initiates an immune response and attacks itself.

Specifically, the body begins destroying the tissues and bones that provide the underlying support for the teeth. With the support structure compromised, gums and teeth can separate, creating pockets which then start getting infected. Those pockets will keep growing deeper as long as the condition isn’t treated. Once teeth start loosening, there’s nothing else that can be done except to extract the affected teeth.

As mentioned above, periodontal disease is most often caused by poor dental hygiene. However, there is another bad habit that can lead to gum disease – cigarette smoking. The relationship between cigarette smoking and periodontal disease has been studied extensively and the relationship is real: those who smoke greatly increase their risks of developing periodontal disease.

Genetics has been shown to play a role in its development, too. If periodontal disease is known to run in the family, early intervention can mean the difference between keeping teeth intact and losing teeth.

Wildly fluctuating hormones during puberty and pregnancy have been shown to increase the risks of developing periodontal disease, and so has stress. When you’re stressed, your body has a more difficult time fighting infection, including that which forms in the gums. Certain medications might negatively impact your oral health which is why it’s important that your dentist know all that you are taking, along with the dosage. Tooth clenching or grinding can accelerate the rate that the tissues that support your teeth weaken, which can lead to periodontal disease.

Diabetes and certain disorders of the immune system can contribute to problems with the gums as can poor nutrition.

Periodontal disease treatment begins with an effort to scrape away the plaque and tartar that have built up in the root surfaces. This process helps remove the irritating toxins, too. Once the deep pockets have been thoroughly cleaned, surgery usually can be avoided if ongoing, regular maintenance is performed.

When surgery is necessary, the type will depend on the severity of the periodontal disease. Pocket depth reduction reduces the size of the pockets that have developed, making it easer to keep plaque out. The pockets are cleaned and then surgically tightened around the tooth. Regenerative procedures attempt to regenerate the tissues and bone that have been lost. Crown lengthening involves surgically removing and reshaping gums so that more of the tooth is visible. Soft tissue grafts can cover up exposed tooth roots, reducing sensitivity. This procedure can also build up gum tissues that have been lost

What you need to know about Dental Crowns

Like the name implies, a crown is designed to sit atop a tooth that is too damaged to be fixed with a filling. This type of extensive damage can be caused by tooth decay, but it can also result from a tooth that has been cracked or chipped. There are other reasons people put crowns on their teeth. For example, if a bridge is needed, a crown helps hold it into place.

Crowns can also be created for reasons that are purely cosmetic. Severely discolored teeth and/or teeth that are misshapen can be topped with crowns to create a look that is more visually pleasing. And today, some people cap perfectly healthy teeth in gold as a status symbol.

A lot of preparation is required before a crown can be properly affixed to a tooth. The tooth typically has to be made smaller to ensure a proper fit. This is accomplished by filing the tooth. Sometimes, not much of the tooth remains and it must first be built up.

When damage or decay is extensive, the patient may first need a root canal – a procedure which remedies pulp that has been infected or inflamed. If this procedure isn’t done, there’s an increased chance of losing the tooth.

After the tooth’s size and underlying root and pulp issues have been addressed, the next step is to create an impression. That’s an important step because the crown must be the correct size or it will be useless. An impression is basically a mold of the tooth from which the crown will be created. To ensure the crowned tooth won’t in any way affect the bite, impressions of surrounding teeth are also made.

After the impressions are made, they are sent to the laboratory where the permanent crown will be crafted. Crowns can be produced using a number of different materials including ceramic, metal or a combination of metal and porcelain. A temporary crown, which you’ll wear until your permanent crown is fitted, can be made out of stainless steel or plastic right there in the dentist’s office.

When the permanent crown is ready, you’ll return to the dentist where the crown will be fitted and adjusted as necessary. When all is perfect, the crown is permanently attached to the tooth using cement. After the crown is put into place, you may still experience some problems such as sensitivity or discomfort. If so, return to the dentist and discuss the feelings. The crown may require repositioning. And if there still is a nerve under the crown, it may be reacting to hot and cold causing sensitivity.

A crown is a very durable dental treatment and it’s not uncommon for one to last decades. But during that time you could experience problems with the crown. It might chip, especially if it is porcelain. Or the cement might begin to wash away partially or completely. If any of these problems arise, you’ll need to return to the dentist. Bacteria and acids can leak onto the tooth when crowns are loose or they fall out and this can lead to tooth decay.

Flossing

Leaning Your Teeth and Gums – Flossing

Brushing your teeth properly is an effective way of removing plaque, that sticky white substance that grows in between and along the bottom of teeth and along the gum line. But rarely will tooth brushing alone remove all plaque, no matter how good a job you do.

To ensure you remove every bit of plaque from your teeth, you’ve got to remember to floss. While most people will make the effort to brush in the morning and at night, few take that extra step of flossing. Rather than flossing daily, they’ll floss weekly or worse, they just don’t floss at all.

Flossing takes a bit of time and a lot of coordination which probably is why so many choose to skip this step. But like any habit, if you’re willing to practice and repeat the process, in a few weeks you’ll be flossing daily like a pro.

As you chew your food, some of it gets trapped in the spaces between teeth. The closer the space, the more difficult those particles are to remove with the bristles of a toothbrush. And when it comes to the molars, it’s difficult to position the toothbrush so that it adequately gets between them.

When you floss, you wrap what looks like a length of thread around one or more fingers on both hands, and then work the thread up into the crevices between teeth. You don’t use normal sewing thread as that could damage the gums. Instead you use floss, which can either be uncoated or coated with a wax. To add a bit of excitement to the task, floss now comes in a variety of flavors and some brands even resist shredding!

As you move the floss back and forth, up and down the space between teeth, that action loosens the plaque from those hard-to-get-at spaces that toothbrush bristles can’t reach.

Some people wrap floss around their fingers while others just hold it between their fingers. How it’s held doesn’t matter as long as you have a firm grip and a segment that you can work with. With a back and forth motion, gently work the floss in between two teeth. This protects gums. Then wrap floss around an inside edge of a tooth by making a ‘c’ shape with the floss. Moving gently from base of tooth to gum line, use the floss to scrape the plaque from the tooth. Repeat for all teeth and don’t forget the molars. Flossing those teeth can be awkward at first, but it’s absolutely necessary.

You need only floss once a day, so choose morning or evening and stick with that time. You may wish to floss more often, especially after eating popcorn or other foods that tend to stick between teeth. Floss isn’t expensive so use as much as you need, as often as you need.

Never rush your flossing session and never floss aggressively. Both can cause gums to bleed or become damaged. You actually want to avoid coming into contact with the gums as much as possible.

Gingivitis

Gingivitis is a mild form of periodontal disease. Its presence is indicated by a redness and/or swelling of the gum area. Those who have gingivitis usually have gums that bleed easily, too. Gums generally bleed when slight pressure is applied such as after brushing or flossing. A change in the color of the gums is another indication that gingivitis may be present.

What makes gingivitis tricky to self-diagnose is that typically not much pain accompanies these symptoms. What also makes the problem go unnoticed by many is the fact that millions of Americans have some degree of gingivitis, especially those who are over age 35. Most don’t realize it isn’t ‘normal’ for their gums to bleed.

The most common cause of gingivitis is poor dental hygiene. When plaque is not completely removed from the teeth, it will begin to release toxins. These toxins irritate the gums. In just a few days, plaque that is not removed from the teeth will turn into calculus, more commonly referred to as tartar.

These hardened deposits of plaque cannot be removed at home. A dentist must use a special tool to scrape away the tartar build-up. Because tartar cannot be easily removed, its presence will also irritate the gums. Tartar compounds the problem by giving bacteria one more location where it can grow.

Gingivitis is caused by other factors including genetics, certain medications, fluctuating hormones and certain diseases such as leukemia and diabetes. Fungal and viral infections such as oral thrush and herpes also negatively impact the gums. A weakened immune system can also trigger gingivitis because the body has a more difficult time fighting off the bacteria that develop along with plaque.

A diet lacking in Vitamins B and C and calcium contributes to the onset of periodontal disease, too. Therefore poor nutrition is also a cause.

Effective treatment of gingivitis takes effort on behalf of the dentist and the patient. If you think you have gingivitis, it’s important to make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible. The dentist will give your teeth a thorough cleaning that will include scraping the tartar off your teeth. The dentist uses a special scraping tool and the procedure might cause discomfort, but it’s absolutely necessary.

After completing the dental visit, the second step in treating and preventing future incidences of gingivitis is the development of a better at-home routine for tooth brushing and flossing. Brush at least twice daily, in the morning and in the evening, using a new toothbrush after every 3 months. If possible, brush once more after lunch. Daily flossing is important, too. And be sure to floss all teeth, not just the ones in front.

Both of these steps are equally important because when gingivitis isn’t treated by the dentist and properly addressed by the individual, the condition can become much worse. It can turn into periodontis, a more serious form of periodontal disease. At that stage, there is a real possibility that the tooth or teeth in the affected area might fall out – permanently.