Gum disease or periodontal disease is an infection of the tissue that supports and holds our teeth in place. The disease causes the gum tissue to become inflamed (red, puffy, bleeding gums), and damages the bone under the gum line (bone loss).
There are some important facts that you should know:
Most adults show signs of periodontal (gum) disease
periodontal disease is the number one reason people in America lose their teeth
In most cases, early stages of periodontal disease do not warn us; there is little or no pain, the disease runs a silent course.
periodontal disease is the most common cause of bleeding gums, bad breath, and loose teeth.
Lack of professional dental care including professional cleaning of teeth by a dental hygienist
We also now know that periodontal disease can contribute to other diseases due to the fact the infected gum tissue is constantly causing bacteria to enter into our bloodstream and travel to other areas of the body. The other diseases I refer to are:
Heart Disease
Diabetes
Stroke
Low Birth Weight Babies
Osteoporosis
So factually you could say if you want to live, you have to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Dentist treat gum disease by carefully cleaning tartar (the hard deposits that build up on our teeth), and plaque (the mass of bacteria that accumulate on our teeth and at the gum line) away and training the person on techniques for daily removal of plaque.
If gum disease has reached an advanced stage where the bone around the teeth has been damaged, the dentist has other techniques to help the teeth and gums return to a healthy state.
Do yourself and your teeth favor, avoid the fate of the more than 60,000,000 American who have lost their teeth. Get your teeth examined and cleaned and at that time we will give you a report on the health of your teeth and gums.
