Gum Disease: Symptoms, Stages and Treatment Procedure

Gum disease, commonly known as periodontal disease, is the term for infection and inflammation of the tissues that surround your teeth. Gum disease can be brought on by poor oral hygiene. Nevertheless, even with appropriate brushing and flossing, some people are more susceptible to this problem than others.

Symptoms of periodontal disease:

• pink or reddish gums.
• Heaving.
• discomfort.
• Halitosis is a bad breath.
• Tastes unpleasant.
• ache while gnawing.
• Gum recession is the term for receding gums from teeth.
• missing teeth.
• a modification to the fit of your teeth.

Stages of periodontal disease:

Gums in good health feel firm to the touch. They neither bulge nor bleed. However, bleeding, swollen, and discolored (reddish or purplish) gums might be a symptom of periodontal disease. Gum disease can destroy your jawbone if left untreated, which could result in the loss of your teeth.

The tissues surrounding your teeth eventually deteriorate. In actuality, most patients with gum disease—especially in its early stages—don’t feel any pain. Thus, it’s critical to recognize the warning indicators.

Gum disease progresses in four stages:

• Gingivitis: The initial phase of gum disease is this. When you brush or floss, it may bleed from red, swollen gums at first. There isn’t any bone loss at this point. Gingivitis is therefore completely curable with the right care.

• Mild periodontitis: Your gums have allowed the bacteria to penetrate and damage the underlying bone. It’s possible for your gums to separate from your teeth and form pockets around them. In these pockets, where your toothbrush and floss can’t reach, plaque and germs like to hide.

• Moderate periodontitis: The ligaments, soft tissues, and bones that support your teeth in place start to deteriorate if you don’t treat bacteria. Bad breath and pus (an infection) near your gum line are possible symptoms. At this point, some people start to feel pain.

• Advanced periodontitis: Bone loss persists as periodontal disease progresses. Your teeth may get loose as a result and finally fall out.

Gum disease is reversible if caught early enough. However, the illness is too advanced to be reversed if you have already lost bone around your teeth as a result of infection. On the other hand, with appropriate care and regular, conscientious oral hygiene, you can control it.

Causes of Periodontal Disease:

The primary cause of the periodontal disease is the accumulation of dental plaque. Numerous types of bacteria found in plaque have the ability to infect your gums. That’s why having bad dental hygiene increases your risk of developing gum disease. Because genes alter how the immune system reacts to bacteria, they can contribute to gum disease in some individuals.

Risk factors for gum disease:

Anything that raises your chances of contracting an illness or condition is called a risk factor. Among the potential risk factors for periodontal disease are:

• tobacco use, including smoking.
• improper dental care.
• diabetics.
• autoimmune conditions, such as Crohn’s disease, scleroderma, and lupus.
• changes in hormones, especially during menopause, pregnancy, and puberty.
• Tension.
• Genetics: If your parents, grandparents, or siblings have gum disease, your chances of developing it are higher.
• heart conditions.

Diagnosis:

Your dentist may do these to determine if you have periodontitis and understand the severity of the condition:

• Examine your past medical records to find any connections that might be related to your symptoms.
• Examples include using some medications that produce dry mouth or smoking.
• Examine your mouth for easy bleeding and accumulation of tartar and plaque.
• Insert a dental probe, which is a tiny ruler, between your teeth and gum line to measure the depth of the pockets between your gums and teeth. Your upper and lower gums’ pockets are measured in a few different locations. The pocket depth in a healthy mouth typically ranges from 1 to 3 millimeters (mm). Greater than 4 mm pockets could be a sign of periodontitis. Routine treatment is not effective in cleaning pockets that are deeper than 5 mm.
• Get dental X-rays taken in locations where your dentist observes deeper pockets to monitor bone loss.
• Based on your health, your risk factors, the severity of the illness, and the difficulty of treatment, your dentist may award a stage and a grade to your periodontitis. A treatment plan is then created.

How can gum disease be treated?

Treatment for gum disease includes many different dental operations. These treatments are used by medical professionals to heal gum disease-damaged tissues and lessen oral infection. These treatments are often carried out by periodontists, or gum experts. Yet, conventional dentists do occasionally treat gum disease in a less severe form.

When plaque and tartar accumulate on the surfaces of your teeth, gum disease develops. Your gums grow red, inflamed, and sensitive in response to the germs in these irritants. Additionally, when you brush or floss, your gums may bleed.

Your chances of maintaining long-term dental health are improved the earlier you address gum disease. Gum disease is treatable when it is in its early stages, known as gingivitis. However, the later stages (periodontitis) cause harm to the bone beneath your gums. As a result, your teeth develop gaps, or periodontal pockets, which can cause more infection, loose teeth, or even tooth loss.

Details of the procedure:

What are my alternatives for treating gum disease—nonsurgical or surgical?

Several factors determine whether you need nonsurgical or surgical therapy for gum disease, including:

• the gum disease stage.
• Your dental health as it is now.
• Your general health as it is now.
• Your capacity to adhere to directions for oral hygiene following therapy.

Gum disease can be treated using a variety of nonsurgical and surgical methods. Furthermore, a lot of periodontists use sedation dentistry to ensure your comfort throughout the procedure. Speak with a healthcare professional to learn more.

Benefits of Gum disease treatment?

Treating gum disease has more benefits than drawbacks. If gum disease is not addressed, it will eventually lead to tooth loss due to a vicious cycle of infection and bone loss. With quick medical attention, you can:

• Get rid of oral microorganisms that cause illness.
• Stop your jaw from losing bone.
• Get rid of halitosis, or bad breath.
• own more robust gums that aren’t red, puffy, or sensitive.
• Lower your chance of heart disease, stroke, and a host of other illnesses.

How effective is treatment for gum disease?

Treatment for periodontal disease has remarkable success rates, up to 95% in certain cases.

These costs differ depending on a number of variables, such as the kind of surgery done and the patient’s post-treatment oral and gum hygiene practices.

Treatment for gum disease can alter the prognosis for teeth harmed by periodontitis in the long run. This kind of therapy can frequently save teeth that were inoperable otherwise.

It’s critical to know that gum disease cannot be cured; it can only be managed. Instead of focusing on a cure, treatments emphasize management and prevention.

The side effects of treating periodontal disease

After treating gum disease, the following side effects could occur:

• Heaving.
• contamination.
• following a therapy.
• sensitive teeth.
• hard recession.

Contact your periodontist as soon as any of these issues arise. To assist in reducing these side effects, they can suggest therapy or provide prescriptions for drugs.

How much time take to heal after gum treatment?

It is contingent upon the kind of care you are given. You won’t require any downtime if you have scalability and root planning. You may need one to four weeks to recuperate from advanced periodontal disease operations including flap surgery, bone grafts, or gum grafts.

How can you take care of your teeth and gums after post-treatment?

Your periodontist will provide you with a comprehensive set of care instructions as soon as your gum disease is treated. These guidelines change based on the kind of surgery you underwent. Make sure to enquire about particular post-treatment care from your periodontist. Overall, you ought to:

• Adhere to your periodontist’s prescriptions for all drugs.

• If you experience any worrying side effects, such as continuous bleeding or pain that doesn’t go away after you take medicine, call your periodontist.

• Make sure the treatment space is tidy. (Depending on your unique circumstances, your periodontist will advise you on how to accomplish this.)