21/06/2019
Periodontal disease is the term we use to describe inflammation that affects your gums and the bone that holds your teeth in place. Research is continuously investigating the link between oral health and overall health; particularly how bacteria can travel from your mouth and throughout your body via inflammation.
Healthy gums are typically light pink in colour, don’t bleed easily and appear stippled like an orange. They also sit flat and pointed in-between your teeth. Teeth are anchored in bone in your mandible. In health, bone levels rise to just below where your enamel ends and your root surface starts.
Gingivitis=🔥inflammation🔥 of the gums
Signs and symptoms:
• Red, purplish or dark pink gums that bleed (easily) during brushing, flossing and dental cleanings. They can appear bulbous, swollen, shiny and may be sensitive when touched or cleaned. You can have generalized gingivitis or it can be localized to a single location.
FYI Smoking can hide the signs of gingivitis by blanching out gums giving them a light coloured appearance.
Risk factors/causes:
• most common cause: improper brushing and interdental cleaning. Your body has an immune response to the bacteria that lives in the dental plaque that has been left behind. Other causes of inflammation (if oral hygiene is in check) could be dry mouth, tarter build up, sensitivities to toothpastes/filling material/other products, medications, pregnancy or cavities.
Prognosis: gingivitis is REVERSIBLE and PREVENTABLE!
Prevention/treatment: Nail down a rocking home care routine and visit your dental pros regularly.
Periodontitis=🔥inflammation🔥 of the bone and ligaments that surround teeth
Signs and symptoms:
•Your tooth has a natural 1-3mm gum pocket surrounding it (that’s where popcorn kernel shells and the like get jammed into). The bacteria associated with periodontitis are very aggressive. The immune system essentially defends the body by attacking them (and itself) and in the process destroys the height of the bone. This destruction creates a deeper pocket (4+mm) that’s very difficult to clean properly at home and can also cause the gums to recede (see attached photo). Teeth can become loose, gums can ooze infection and teeth can even fall out because of the bone loss. This condition can be isolated to a single area or it can be generalized.
Risk factors/causes:
• smoking, poor oral hygiene, genetics, diabetes, advancing age, diseases that compromise your immune system.
Prognosis: periodontitis is NOT REVERSIBLE (bone in your mouth acts differently than let’s say... a broken bone that heals) and if it’s not caught/managed early, the disease tends to progress over time. The good news is that in most cases, there are interventions that can help stabilize the condition and prevent it from getting worst.
Prevention/treatment: maintain good oral health at home by nailing down a daily routine and check in with your dental pros regularly! You may require more frequent dental hygiene visits or a referral to a specialist (a Periodontist) to manage periodontitis.
*It’s extra important to maintain your oral health if you are diabetic; diabetes increases your risk of having periodontal disease and it can be more difficult to manage blood sugar in presence of perio disease!*
