Gum disease is an infection of the gum tissue; it isn't an infection of the teeth. Therefore, it is important to understand that removing your teeth will not actually treat or cure your gum disease.
Will Removing Teeth Stop the Progression of Gum Disease? The short answer is “no.” Gum disease attacks the soft oral tissues of the mouth and bones that surround your tooth structures. Just because one or more of your teeth may no longer be present doesn't mean the infection doesn't exist.
However, the disease is called “gum disease” and not “tooth disease” for a reason – in absence of teeth, you are still absolutely vulnerable to periodontal disease.
Yes. Regardless of the stage of infection, you can stop the progression of gum disease. The initial phase is the easiest to manage as it only requires maintaining proper oral care and dental checkups. Further stages will require specialized treatment such as scaling and root planing.
In its more serious form, called periodontitis, the gums can pull away from the tooth, bone can be lost, and the teeth may loosen or even fall out. Periodontal disease is mostly seen in adults. Periodontal disease and tooth decay are the two biggest threats to dental health.
But the condition may get even worse if left untreated. They may experience receding gums, loosening teeth, or tooth loss when it progresses into severe periodontal disease. If you wonder if you can live with this disease, the answer is yes.
The key to managing and living with periodontal disease is to ensure your teeth are kept clean and reduce gum irritation. Besides an increase in cleanings, there are also specialized cleaning methods used, depending on the extent of damage.
It is a therapy that is sometimes only needed once in a lifetime or every few years depending on your initial level of infection and various risk factors. The periodontal maintenance cleaning is part of the soft tissue management program prescribed 3-4 times a year after scaling & root planing is completed.
Periodontitis (also called periodontal disease) is gum disease. This infection damages the soft tissue around your teeth and wears away the bone supporting them. If left untreated, the disease eventually ruins the bone, loosening the teeth and causing them to fall out.
You can't cure it because once you lose structural support around your teeth, you don't usually get all of it back. However, periodontal treatment can reduce infection and rebuild your bone and tissue to some degree. Another factor is genetics. There are many different types of oral bacteria.
Stage 4 of periodontal disease is the point of no return. At this point, even scaling and root planning won't be enough to treat your teeth. A dentist will probably recommend surgery or laser therapy to clean out the gums' deep bacteria deposits. The worse your periodontitis gets, the more it's going to cost you.
It's important to see a dentist right away if you ever suspect something is wrong with your gums. Both gingivitis and periodontitis can happen faster than you think. If you ever feel like your gums are tender, look red or swollen, or you're noticing pink on your floss or toothbrush, give us a call as soon as you can.
As the loss of bone and gum tissue increases, teeth will begin to feel loose, and eventually result in tooth loss. It is important to treat periodontal disease, even if your symptoms are mild. Researchers have found links between gum disease and serious health problems.
Once you have an implant, your risk of developing gum disease does not disappear.
Once your periodontal treatment has been completed, your dentist and dental hygienist will recommend that you have regular maintenance cleanings (periodontal cleanings), usually four times a year.
If you end up with periodontal disease, it's not the end of the world or the end of your oral health. It just means you may need to take some time to care for your mouth and get it healthy again. Now, go floss. To learn more about periodontal and gum disease, visit our page The Complete Guide to Periodontal Disease.
Almost half, 47.2%, of all adults aged 30 years and older have some form of gum disease. Gum disease increases with age. 70.1% of adults 65 years and older have periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease damages the bone, which is not reversible. Once it starts, you will always have it. All levels of periodontitis require treatment by a dentist. A mild case can typically be managed by a general dentist using non-surgical treatments.
The progression of periodontal disease is slow but steady. It only takes four days for plaque to reach its maximum extent, so you'll be able to physically see signs of gingivitis on day 5. Advanced stages of this disease can be seen in as little as a few weeks if you have not tried to reverse the gingivitis.
Incidents of periodontal disease (gum disease) do increase with age, but gum disease can start at any time. Most people do not begin to show signs, however, until they are in their 30s or 40s.
For example, patients with conditions that affect the efficiency of the immune system, such as diabetes, HIV, Down syndrome, leukemia, etc., can make periodontal disease worse. Those who smoke, use tobacco products, are malnourished, and/or are highly stressed are also at an increased risk.
It's never too late to seek treatment for gum disease, and the degree of treatment you require will depend on how advanced it is.
Topical or oral antibiotics can help control bacterial infection. Topical antibiotics can include antibiotic mouth rinses or putting gel containing an antibiotic into gum pockets. Sometimes oral antibiotics are needed to get of bacteria that cause infections.
And though periodontitis is common, it is preventable with the right oral hygiene and regular dental checkups. However, if you do develop periodontitis, it is treatable, and periodontal treatments can leave you with healthy gums, which means healthy teeth.