Gum Disease Therapy

Gum disease is a fairly common condition that affects the supporting structures of the teeth. As a disease plaguing millions in the United States alone, the condition can cause a wide range of problems, from tooth loss to an increased risk of stroke or heart disease.

It’s quite evident that oral health has a significant impact on your overall wellness, and this is especially true when it comes to gum disease. This is why it is so important to attend regular preventative visits at our office and develop a strong home hygiene routine. By taking steps to address the disease in its earliest stages, you have a great chance of securing your natural smile’s health for life.

There are many ways to protect your smile, including brushing and flossing regularly, seeing our providers for regular checkups, and gaining awareness of any irregularities in your teeth and gum tissues. One of the most troubling characteristics of the condition is its ability to go unnoticed for such extended periods of time; in fact, it is only when the disease progresses to an incurable stage that many patients recognize its presence.

If you have gum disease, please rest assured that it can be treated when discovered early. Even in its later stages, the condition can be well managed with the support of dental experts. Just be sure to visit us for regular appointments and contact us as soon as possible if you notice the signs of gum disease in your smile.

Please read below to learn more about gum disease. If you have any questions, contact our Raleigh, NC dental professionals for assistance!

There are three stages of gum disease: gingivitis, periodontitis, and advanced periodontitis. Each stage has its own set of symptoms.

• Gingivitis is the earliest stage of gum disease. It is characterized by red, swollen gums that bleed easily – especially while brushing and flossing. There may also be a bad taste in your mouth and a bad odor despite brushing or using mouthwash.
• Periodontitis is more advanced than gingivitis. During this stage, permanent damage begins to occur as the gums pull away from the teeth, forming pockets where plaque, tartar, and bacteria can thrive out of reach from your toothbrush. The bacteria can damage the bone and soft tissue around the teeth and causes the gum tissue to retreat more, leading to deeper pockets. You may notice severe gum recession and loose teeth at this stage.
• Advanced periodontitis is the most serious stage of gum disease. The gums, bone, and soft tissue have all undergone significant damage by this point. You may experience tooth loss and pus forming in gum tissue pockets.

If you have any of these symptoms, please visit our office. Early diagnosis and treatment are important for preserving your teeth and gums.

Treatment for gingivitis may include recommendations for particular home hygienic tools and specially formulated toothpaste; we may also provide education and resources to ensure you are brushing and flossing properly. If you have a more advanced stage of the condition, we may recommend our scaling and root planning procedure.

Gingivitis is the mild inflammation of the gums, but it can spread below the gum line if not treated. The gums develop a chronic inflammatory response to the toxins within plaque, leading the body to ultimately destroy its own bone and soft tissue. However, there can be few or no symptoms while periodontal disease makes the teeth separate from the infected gum tissue. One main indication of this issue is the deepening of pockets between gums and teeth.

The most common types of periodontal disease are listed below:

Chronic Periodontitis – The most common type of periodontal disease. Deep pockets and gum recession are caused by inflammation inside the supporting tissues. Teeth appear to be lengthening, but actually the gums are receding. This type causes progressive loss of teeth attachment or varying periods of rapid deterioration.

Aggressive Periodontitis – Causes rapid loss of gum attachment, familial aggregation, and rapid loss of gum attachment. This type of periodontal disease affects otherwise clinically healthy individuals.

Necrotizing Periodontitis – Individuals affected by HIV, immunosuppression and malnutrition most commonly are affected by this type of periodontal disease. Tissue death, of necrosis, happens in periodontal ligaments, alveolar bones and gingival tissues.

Feel free to contact us or schedule an appointment any time if you would like to learn more about or show any signs of periodontal disease.

Gum disease is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Preventative measures and significantly decrease your risk of developing periodontal disease.

Poor dental hygiene – regular dental visits, a balanced diet, and good home care can all inhibit bacterial growth.

Tobacco use – Smokers are more likely to have more tartar buildup, deep pockets in gingival tissue, significant bone loss, and a slower recovery and healing rate.

Genetic predisposition – Close to 30% of the population is likely to have a strong genetic predisposition to periodontal disease. If your family is commonly afflicted with gum disease, consider taking genetic tests and early intervention to maintain oral cavity health.

Pregnancy and menopause – hormones during pregnancy and menopause cause greater sensitivity to the gums, which leaves them more susceptible to gum disease. Make sure to maintain excellent and regular home oral care during these times.

Chronic stress and poor diet – stress, poor diet, or malnutrition can all lessen the immune system’s ability to fight and beat infection, including those of the gums.

Diabetes and underlying medical issues – Heart disease, respiratory disease, osteoporosis, and arthritis can all lead to accelerated or intensified onset and progression of periodontitis. Since diabetes negatively affects how the body uses insulin, infections in the gum become harder to control and cure.

Grinding teeth – teeth grinding or clenching damages supporting tissues that surround teeth. People usually grind their teeth because they have a “bad bite,” meaning teeth are misaligned. The additional destruction of gingival tissue that is caused by grinding can accelerate gum disease in individuals already affected.

Medication – Oral contraceptive pills, anti-depressants, steroids, and heart medications all negatively change the overall condition of teeth and gums. Steroids specifically can cause gingival overgrowth, which leads to more swelling, meaning more places for bacteria to grow in gum tissue.

Feel free to contact us or schedule an appointment any time if you would like to learn more about or show any signs of periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease often progresses without any signs or symptoms, including pain. You should always visit a periodontist regularly to get properly checked so that treatment can begin as soon as possible if needed.

Unexplained bleeding – The bacterial infection caused by toxins in plaque can make tissues prone to bleeding, most commonly while brushing teeth, flossing, or eating food.

Pain, redness, or swelling – It is important to stop any potential infection which causes the gums to swell, turn red, or feel painful for no apparent reason. If not treated, the infection can spread to the gum tissue, jawbone, or even to the bloodstream where the infection is taken to other body areas.

Longer-looking teeth – Toxins produced by bacteria can destroy bones and supporting tissues. Although commonly mistaken as the teeth lengthening or a “toothy” smile, it is actually caused by receding gums.

Bad Breath/Halitosis – Periodontal disease-related bad breath is caused by old food particles stuck between your teeth and underneath your gum line. Deeper gum pockets also hide more debris and bacteria, eventually causes bad odors.

Loose teeth/change in bite pattern – When periodontitis rapidly progresses, the teeth can either loosen or begin to shift. This is caused by the destruction of bone tissue, which allows teeth that used to be tightly attached to the jawbone to move around.

Pus – A definitive sign of periodontal infection is pus, produced by the body in an attempt to fight bacterial infection, emerging from between teeth.

Diabetics have a higher risk at developing infections like those that lead to gum disease. In fact, periodontal disease is a common but often unrecognized complication of diabetes, especially in people who do not properly manage their diabetes.

Diabetics have too much glucose, commonly referred to as sugar, in their bloodstream. Type II diabetes in particular makes it more difficult to control insulin levels, causing excess sugar to stay in blood. This problem is even more prominent in Type I diabetics, who produce no insulin at all. Diabetes can lead to other health issues like heart disease or strokes.

Reasons For The Connection

The risks between periodontal disease and diabetes can worsen if neither is properly handled. Below are the issues that arise because of the connection between these two health conditions:

Increase blood sugar – body sugar levels increase as a result of moderate to severe periodontitis. Bodies need more time to process the sugar, making it more difficult for diabetics to control their blood sugar levels. Also, because bacteria use oral sugar levels as fuel to grow, diabetics have a higher risk of worse periodontal infections.

Thickening blood vessels – Thicker blood vessels in diabetics cannot do their normal functions of delivering and removing substances from the bloodstream.

After a full mouth examination to diagnose periodontal disease and determine the extent of infection, Dr. Wells will discuss several options with you for treatment to help decide what treatment is best for you:

Scaling and Root Planing – the periodontist will remove the bacteria and calculus (tartar) that caused infection to maintain gum tissue health by cleaning the gum pockets and antibiotic treatment when necessary to remove the infection

Laser Treatment – one way to reduce the size of pockets between teeth and gums

Tissue and Bone Grafting – Also known as tissue regeneration, this involves inserting a membrane to stimulate tissue growth in areas with large amounts of destroyed bone or gum tissue

Pocket Elimination Surgery – also known as flap surgery, this directly reduces the size of gum pockets

Dental Implant – Possibly after tissue regeneration, implants replace the teeth lost to periodontal disease and are installed in the jawbone to restore the aesthetic appearance and functionality of your mouth

Feel free to contact us or schedule an appointment any time if you would like to learn more about or show any signs of periodontal disease.

Scaling and root planing is a dental procedure that is used to remove plaque and tartar from the teeth, both above and below the gum line. The scaling portion of the procedure involves using a scaler to remove plaque and tartar from the tooth surfaces. As the plaque and tartar are removed from the gum pockets, this gives the gum tissue an opportunity to reattach to the freshly cleaned tooth surface.

Root planing is the process of smoothing out the root surfaces of the teeth. During this process, the bone is resurfaced where the disease has caused damage. By polishing the surface of the roots and providing ample opportunity for the gums to heal and reattach, plaque and tartar will be less likely to accumulate in these regions again in the future, reducing the likelihood of disease progression.