UNDERSTANDING GUM DISEASE
Your gums and underlying bone provide an important foundation for your teeth and dental work, so it is important to keep them healthy. While every mouth contains both healthy and harmful bacteria, sometime the harmful bacteria can infect the gums and form spaces or gaps around the teeth, known as pockets. These pockets are a sign that you may have gum or periodontal disease which is the number one cause of adult tooth loss in the United States.
SYMPTOMS
Because periodontal disease attacks beneath the gum line, you could have an infection and not know it. Although some people experience symptoms such as red, swollen or bleeding gums, bad breath, loose teeth or gums that bleed upon brushing, some people experience no symptoms at all.
Your dental healthcare professional can determine whether you have periodontal disease by measuring the size of the pockets or gaps around your teeth. This is done with a special instrument which is much like a small ruler. Pockets which measure four or more millimeters in depth and/or gums which bleed during probing, may indicate an infection is present.
TREATMENTS
Scaling and Root Planing (SRP) – Using a procedure known as scaling, your dental professional first removes the plaque, tartar and stains from your teeth. After scaling, the rough areas on the roots are then smoothed by a process called planing. The root planing process helps promote healing of the roots of the teeth.
Locally Administered Antibiotics (LAA) – While SRP has been shown to effectively remove many of the bacteria which cause infection, some bacteria grow below the gum line and can cause the infection to return and spread. These bacteria are treated using a locally administered antibiotic. An LAA is often administered directly to the site of the infection where bacteria may hide. Many dental professionals choose to add LAA to their treatment plan clinical studies prove that SRP is more effective at reducing the harmful effects of periodontal disease when LAAs are included.
CONTINUING CARE
Following basic oral hygiene guidelines at home can help prevent periodontal disease. Brush your teeth at least twice a day and clean between your teeth with floss or an interdental cleaner once a day to remove plaque and food debris that your toothbrush may not be able to reach. Your dental professional may also recommend the daily use of an antimicrobial mouth rinse.
Once you receive initial treatment for periodontal disease and the infection has been treated, continuous professional care, known as periodontal maintenance, should be performed. Because the bacteria which cause periodontal disease are persistent, the infection can return.
If you have received treatment for periodontal disease, please be sure to set – and keep – your follow-up dental appointments to maintain healthy gums and teeth. It is important for your dental professional to re-examine your gums to both ensure that the infection is under control and to measure the success of your treatment.
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