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.
One of the primary symptoms is that gums will be red and swollen. They will also be tender to the touch. While gingivitis may result in some minor swelling or darkening of the color of the gums, an infection will result in even more swelling and deeper redness. Bleeding gums is another sign of infection.
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.
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.
Stage 3: Advanced Periodontitis
As the infection worsens, the pockets may also fill with pus. At this point your teeth might loosen or fall out. This stage of gum disease is irreversible, though dental implants (replacement teeth) are one option for people suffering from serious periodontitis.
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.
A gum abscess may sound like an emergency, but in reality, it's rarely life-threatening and can be treated at home with basic over-the-counter remedies.
A dental abscess is a build-up of pus in the teeth or gums caused by an infection. It needs urgent treatment by a dentist. A dental abscess will not go away on its own.
Untreated infections may lead to complications. For example, infected tissue may put the root of a nearby tooth at risk, which could lead to the complete loss of the tooth. Additionally, infections from infected gum tissue may spread to the jaw or surrounding bone, potentially damaging the tissue.
Periodontal disease has its roots in infections of the gum tissue caused by bacteria on the surface of your teeth. If left untreated, it can cause tissue loss as well as tooth loss. However, like many types of infection, periodontal disease can be effectively treated with antibiotics.
In case a person does not treat a dental abscess in its initial stage, then the infection may last anywhere between 5 months to 12 months or even more. Moreover, if no treatment is meted out to the condition, the precious dental pulp will die away and may get another abscess.
Tooth infections that have traveled to the jawbone can lead to severe dental abscesses and jawbone infections. Osteomyelitis in the jaw causes persistent pain, jaw stiffness, swelling, and tenderness. Additionally, bacterial infections of the teeth can also spread to the bloodstream and cause sepsis.
Emergency rooms are meant for specific dire situations. If you have an abscess in your mouth that has become infected, then you will need to head to the closest emergency room. If the pain is unbearable and seems to feel like it is spreading along your jaw or neck, then you should go to the ER.
When treated in a timely fashion, dental infections or “abscesses” can normally be managed in the an office setting. Unfortunately if left untreated, dental abscesses can have serious consequences requiring hospitalization. This is why its so critical to see your dentist if you have a dental infection.
Antibiotics. 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.
Advanced Periodontitis
The final stage of periodontitis is not fun. The infection in your gums will have damaged most of the connective tissue and bones in your mouth to some extent. You will likely have severe pain when chewing, terrible breath, and experience tooth loss.
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.
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.
How big of a role does age play in periodontal disease? It's true; periodontitis is more common in older people, affecting 70% of adults aged 65 and above. It's also because of this that toothlessness is more prevalent in seniors.
Localized Aggressive Periodontitis, also known as LAP, is a rare type of inflammatory periodontal disease. It is defined by its ability to progress at a rapid rate, severe bone and attachment loss, specifically on the first molars and incisors. The disease is also marked by an early age of onset.
Dental sepsis occurs when the pulp chamber of the tooth is exposed to the oral cavity or external environment, allowing bacterial localization with resulting infection.