Periodontal disease progresses and becomes more problematic over time. There are four gum disease stages, including: Gingivitis: This is early-stage gum disease and it's less severe than periodontitis. With gingivitis, your gums become red and swollen, but you haven't started losing bone around your teeth yet.
This form of gum disease does not include any loss of bone and tissue that hold teeth in place. When gingivitis is not treated, it can advance to “periodontitis” (which means “inflammation around the tooth”). In periodontitis, gums pull away from the teeth and form spaces (called “pockets”) that become infected.
Periodontitis is a severe gum infection that can lead to tooth loss, bone loss and other serious health complications. Periodontitis (per-e-o-don-TIE-tis), also called gum disease, is a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue around teeth.
If you let gum disease progress to chronic periodontitis, delaying treatment triggers bone and tissue loss to increase the severity of the condition. If your state has progressed to this stage, your tooth begins moving around in the mouth, making tooth loss an eventuality.
Stage 3: Mild Periodontitis
About 10 percent of patients with initial periodontitis will go on to experience mild periodontitis, but don't let the name of this condition fool you; even mild periodontitis causes significant bone loss.
Left untreated, gum recession can lead to other serious oral health problems, such as bone loss, tooth mobility or feeling "wiggly" or even tooth loss. If you notice any of the symptoms listed above, schedule an appointment with your dentist right away.
Slight Periodontal Disease
During the early gingivitis stages, gum inflammation can occur in as little as five days. Within two to three weeks, the signs of generalized gingivitis become more noticeable. If you still leave this untreated, it would progress to slight periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease is not a life-threatening condition.
Yes, depending on the severity of the gum disease, teeth affected by periodontal disease may be saved. Scaling, root planing, and antibiotic therapy can help reduce inflammation and slow the progress of periodontal disease. Surgery may sometimes be required to repair and restore the lost tissue and bone.
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.
Only the first stage of gum disease, known as “gingivitis” can be reversed. After it progresses into the second stage (periodontitis), it's no longer possible to completely eliminate it.
In the first year after losing a tooth, 25% of the surrounding bone is lost and it will continue to wear away over time. Why Normally, your jawbone is strengthened and preserved through the pressure and stimulus of chewing. When that pressure no longer occurs, the bone resorbs into the body.
Can bone regenerate after periodontal disease? Bone cannot regenerate on its own after periodontal disease, but bone grafts, membranes, and tissue-stimulating proteins can be used to promote regrowth in areas where bone has been lost.
Sadly, it's not yet possible to stimulate the bone to regrow and rebuild the lost bone around the teeth. However, by developing good oral hygiene further bone loss can be prevented and advanced dental procedures available to replace the bone.
The Journal of Dental Health recommends periodontitis patients revisit their periodontist for periodontal maintenance every three months. This three-month time frame has been proven effective in keeping the progression of periodontal disease at bay. It's important to note, however, that Dr.
Early to moderate periodontal disease can take about 2 to 3 weeks to heal. However, healing can only occur with the proper intervention such as scaling and root planing. For severe Periodontal disease, the recovery times do vary. For example, with the proper treatment, some patients can recover in 5 to 8 weeks.
Periodontitis affects more than 47% of adults over age 30 in the U.S. That number jumps to around 70% for adults 65 years and over.
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.
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.
However, if you have gum disease, your gums can recede quite quickly. In some cases, they may even recede within a matter of weeks or months. Of course, the rate at which your gums recede also depends on your age. As we age, our gums naturally begin to recede.
Stage 4: Progressive Periodontitis
This stage involves teeth looseness, shifting teeth, red, swollen and painful gums, often forming an abscess. The end result — eating and even smiling is hard and painful, and you may lose most of your teeth.
Periodontitis. Periodontitis is the intermediate stage of gum disease. In this stage of periodontal disease, the infection has advanced, and is no longer reversible. The bacteria in your gums will attack your gum tissue and the support structure of your teeth, causing permanent damage to your mouth.
The good news is that, even with receding gums, it can still be possible to get dental implants. Depending on the severity of your case, treatments can range from addressing the early stages of gum disease to performing a bone graft if bone loss has occurred.
At the end of the day, if you're dealing with gum disease such as receding gums, it doesn't automatically keep you from getting dental implants. The caveat is, you'll need to address the gum disease and ensure your gums and jaws are in tip-top shape before embarking on the dental implant journey.