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.
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.
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.
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.
Periodontal (gum) disease
Severe periodontal diseases are estimated to affect around 19% of the global adult population, representing more than 1 billion cases worldwide. The main risk factors for periodontal disease are poor oral hygiene and tobacco use.
In Australia, 30.1% of adults aged 15 years and over had periodontitis in 2017–18.
It is very common in Australia, with 3 in every 10 adults having moderate to severe gum disease. Brushing your teeth and gums twice daily can help prevent gum disease.
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.
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.
Good prognosis: The prognosis is considered to be good when there is adequate amount of remaining bone support along with the periodontium, and the patient as well as the clinician has adequate possibilities to control etiologic factors and establish a maintainable dentition.
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. However, extractions can be an important part of your overall treatment plan to get your oral health back on track.
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.
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.
Even the most damaged teeth can often be saved with proper periodontal treatment in a periodontal office. Many studies have shown that teeth with advanced bone loss, even to the top of the tooth root, can be saved with advanced regeneration and instruments.
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.
Advanced periodontitis is the fifth and final stage of gum disease, and it is likely that you will lose teeth or at least loosen teeth during this phase without immediate dental intervention. The infection impacts the jawbone, so teeth may be lost regardless.
Periodontitis can't be reversed, only slowed down, while gingivitis can be reversed. This is why it's important to catch it in its early stages and prevent it from moving on to periodontitis.
If a patient has gingivitis this can be reversed with a gum health regimen, but a periodontitis patient remains a periodontitis patient for life, even following successful therapy, and requires life-long supportive care to prevent recurrence of disease.
Once you have an implant, your risk of developing gum disease does not disappear.
Many patients with periodontal disease or missing teeth will experience bone loss in their jaw as a result. In general, the process is gradual and you may not immediately notice that your jawbone is atrophying. The most effective way to diagnose tissue loss in your jaw is to visit your dentist.
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.
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.
Diabetes, tobacco use, a weakened immune system, and poor oral hygiene all increase a person's risk for gum disease. Mild gum disease can be controlled and treated with good oral hygiene and regular professional cleaning.
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.
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.