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.
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.
Living with periodontal disease is a challenge because it causes aesthetic complications and severe bone loss in the mouth. Unlike other infections, periodontal diseases silently affect you, causing your gums to become inflamed and bleed. Periodontal disease is not a life-threatening condition.
Professional Care for Treating Periodontitis
If left untreated, periodontitis can lead to tooth loss. While there is no cure for periodontitis, professional care by a dentist or dental hygienist can help to control the infection and prevent further damage to the teeth and gums.
Periodontitis (per-e-o-don-TIE-tis), also called gum disease, is a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue around teeth. Without treatment, periodontitis can destroy the bone that supports your teeth. This can cause teeth to loosen or lead to tooth loss. Periodontitis is common but can usually be prevented.
Typically, you will need to get periodontal cleanings every 3 months for the rest of your life to keep your gum disease under control, and as long as you get routine cleanings and maintain good oral hygiene, your condition won't get worse. However, you will never be fully healed.
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.
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.
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.
Several months ago, Whoopi Goldberg returned to her TV show, “The View,” after being absent for gum surgery. In this episode, she spent a few minutes discussing her personal experience with gum disease and how she will be losing her teeth.
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.
Periodontal disease isn't some spooky story or myth made up by the dental community to encourage you to brush, floss and schedule regular checkups. It is a real disease that if left untreated could harm your oral health as well as your overall health.
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.
You can't cure periodontitis, but you can manage the condition with proper care and maintenance. This includes good oral hygiene and regular dental cleanings at intervals recommended by your dentist.
Unfortunately, young adults (18 to 30 years old) are absolutely at risk of developing gum disease. During your early adult years, if you don't commit to a strong oral hygiene routine, you could be causing irreversible damage to your gums and underlying jawbone!
Gum disease isn't something that only happens to older people. Teens can get it too. Gum disease, also known as periodontal (pronounced: pair-ee-oh-DON-tul) disease, can cause problems from bad breath to pain and tooth loss.
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.
Foods such as pickled vegetables, citrus fruits, black coffee, and tea can enhance inflammation, aggravate your condition, and slow down the effects of treatment.
You need to take the full course of antibiotics. Brush your teeth twice a day, in the morning and at night. Use a toothbrush with soft, rounded-end bristles and a head that is small enough to reach all parts of your teeth and mouth. Replace your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months.
Fortunately, most people considering implants will still qualify for the procedure even if they have periodontal disease, as long as that disease is being treated successfully. However, it may be necessary to delay the dental implant placement until the periodontal disease is under control.
Periodontal (gum) disease is an infection of the tissues that hold your teeth in place. It's typically caused by poor brushing and flossing habits that allow plaque—a sticky film of bacteria—to build up on the teeth and harden.
Age. Studies indicate that older people have the highest rates of periodontal disease. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that over 70% of Americans 65 and older have some form of gum 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.