What is periodontitis?
Periodontitis means infection of the pink gums around your teeth and the bone that supports them. Bacteria forms in the mouth every 24 hours, gets below the pink gum line beyond where your toothbrush can reach, and starts to form a pus pocket, which melts away the bone.
What are the warning signs of periodontal disease?
The warning signs of periodontal disease could be something as simple as bleeding gums, a bad odor or taste in your mouth, a change in the way your teeth fit together, movement of the teeth, drifting of the teeth where you now have spaces that food gets caught in, and sometimes there are no signs because typically it's a silent disease that does not hurt.
When should you see your dentist if you think you are developing periodontal disease?
When you think you are developing periodonal disease, you should see your dentist if you have any bleeding gums, any bad odor, any pus or yellow ooze that is coming out around the teeth, or if you have pain and discomfort around the teeth. Typically, every patient should see their dentist at least twice a year for a full checkup. If they find something and feel you need to see your perodonist, then they will send you to a gum specialist.
What role does the immune response play in periodontal disease?
The immune response plays a major role in periodontal disease because, since 2009, periodontal disease has been linked to systemic diseases in the body, which means if you have periodontal disease you are more likely to have a heart attack, a stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ulcers, and many other problems. If you get your mouth healthy, then it also can help you live longer because once you are missing six or more teeth, it can take 10 years off your lifespan.
What happens if periodontal disease is untreated?
If periodontal disease is untreated, it will progress at a different rate in each tooth in the mouth, and sometimes one side progresses faster than the other. Your immune system does play a role. If you have uncontrolled heart disease, diabetes, thyroid problems, if you are a smoker, or if you have a lot of stress, it can affect the rate at which your disease progresses. You should see your dentist so we can help eliminate the factors to help you heal faster.
How is a periodontal cleaning different than a general cleaning?
A periodontal cleaning is different than a general cleaning. Patients that have measurements in millimeters around the teeth of a one, two, or three with no bleeding are healthy. Those patients can be seen twice a year with a general dentist.
If you have bleeding gums, crowns, implants, or measurements around the teeth that are greater than 4 millimeters, you should be seen every 3 to 4 months for a periodontal cleaning, which is typically done for patients who have the early signs as well as the advanced stages of periodontal disease.
Should you get a final crown made if you have periodontal disease?
If you have periodontal disease, you should not get a final crown made until your overall infection is more controlled because you don't want to invest in a final crown if you are going to have advancing bone loss and then lose the tooth.
What treatments are available for periodontal disease?
For periodontal disease, there are many treatments available. We can do both surgical and non-surgical treatments. The examination is done, and then patients typically start with a specialty cleaning known as scaling and rooplaning. Then we re-evaluate your tissues to determine whether you can do non-surgical treatments.
There are non-surgical treatments that are available, including lasers. You can use PRF treatments that are done, as well as glycine powder that can be put into the tissues. Then there are surgical treatments that include growing back the bone, stabilizing and splinting the teeth, and also, if you have to take out hopeless teeth, extracting them.
Can periodontal disease be cured?
Can periodontal disease be cured is a question that we often get. Parodontal disease is a treatable but never a curable disease because the source of the disease is bacteria, and we cannot eliminate bacteria from the body. It is much like having diabetes or high blood pressure. You have to take medications for the rest of your life to help control it, but they are never actually cured.
How do you schedule a dental appointment with Beach Perio, Implants & Medspa?
If you’re ready to schedule an exam or would like to learn more about our services, we’d love to hear from you. Call us at (585) 440-3505 or email [email protected]. We look forward to caring for your smile.