What would you do if we said that there\u2019s an oral health condition that the majority of American adults have? You\u2019d want to know more, right? Well, it\u2019s true! Gum disease is one of the most common oral health issues out there\u2014gingivitis alone affects 75% of American adults<\/a>. That\u2019s a high incidence for any condition, so it\u2019s important to learn more about gum disease and what makes it so common. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, the more you understand about gum disease, the better you\u2019ll be able to protect yourself from it in the future. To help you do just that, we\u2019ve answered 10 of the most common questions we get about gum disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gum disease is an infection of the gums that is caused by the same oral bacteria that forms plaque<\/a> and, eventually, cavities. These bacteria release acid, which attacks and damages your gums, causing them to become irritated and inflamed. There are two types of gum disease: gingivitis and periodontitis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gingivitis is the first, most common, and mildest form of gum disease. It\u2019s much easier to treat and the effects of gingivitis are often reversible. If it\u2019s not treated, however, it can develop into periodontitis, which is the next and much more serious stage of gum disease. If gum disease is left untreated, these bacteria can do permanent damage to your gums and even to the supporting structures of your teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are four main stages to the progression of gum disease. Gingivitis is the first stage and is characterized by irritated or easily bleeding gums. Stage two is mild periodontitis, which is when your gums become so irritated that they begin to pull away from your teeth, breaking the seal that your gums usually create to protect your tooth roots from bacteria. Without that seal, bacteria make it beneath your gum line, where they begin to attack, not just your gums, but your tooth roots and the other supporting structures of your teeth. Because of this, stage two is where you begin to see slight bone loss in your jaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In stage three, which is moderate periodontitis, there\u2019s continued and more extensive bone loss and damage to gum tissue, which can make your teeth appear longer and may even cause them to feel loose. The final stage is stage four, which is advanced or severe periodontitis. The symptoms of other stages of periodontitis are often still easy to miss if you\u2019re not paying attention, but it\u2019s at this stage that symptoms become impossible to miss, potentially leading to permanent tooth loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most common and well-known cause of gum disease is a poor oral hygiene routine, especially a lack of flossing, which leads to the buildup of plaque and hardened tartar around your gum line. The bristles of your toothbrush simply can\u2019t clean around your gum line and between your teeth very well, so when you don\u2019t floss, you just aren\u2019t cleaning those parts of your teeth, which allows bacteria to flourish there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While a poor oral hygiene routine is the most common cause of gum disease, several other risk factors can increase your likelihood of developing it, sometimes even if you stick to a good oral hygiene routine. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not all of these risk factors are within your control, but some are. Reducing or eliminating the risk factors that you can control will help you decrease your risk of developing gum disease, keeping you healthier in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gingivitis has milder symptoms than periodontitis, making it incredibly easy to miss the signs at home if you aren\u2019t paying attention or don\u2019t know what to look for. Since knowing what signs to look for could be the key to diagnosing gum disease early, it\u2019s important to be able to identify them. Common signs of gingivitis include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although periodontitis is a more severe form of gum disease, many of its symptoms are still easy to miss until it becomes advanced. It shares many of the same symptoms as gingivitis, but as the condition progresses, these symptoms worsen and new ones appear. If you have periodontitis, you might notice symptoms like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your mouth is just as connected to the rest of your body as any other part of it, so periodontitis has a significant impact on your overall health<\/a>. When bacteria make it underneath your gum line, they can also make it into your bloodstream, which can increase your risk of developing a surprising number of overall health issues. These include issues like high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, endocarditis, and complications in pregnancy or childbirth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Periodontitis can also make it harder to control existing health conditions like diabetes, and inhaling oral bacteria increases your likelihood of developing pneumonia or other respiratory conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The good news with gingivitis is that, as the mildest form of gum disease, it\u2019s usually incredibly easy to treat! In most cases, all you need to do to treat gingivitis is commit to a great oral hygiene routine. This includes brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day, flossing at least once a day, and using a mouthwash daily. You may want to use a mouthwash that is specifically designed to help treat gingivitis to give this routine a little more kick. This routine usually resolves your gingivitis within a couple of weeks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since periodontitis is more severe than gingivitis, treating it is more difficult. There are several different treatment methods, including both nonsurgical and surgical periodontal therapy treatments\u2014which is best for you depends on the severity of your case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One common nonsurgical method is called scaling and root cleaning. During this treatment, dental lasers<\/a> are carefully used to clean bacteria from beneath the gum line and to smooth the surface of your tooth roots, which makes it harder for bacteria to grow on them in the future. We may also prescribe oral antibiotics or use Perio Protect<\/a> trays to deliver antibiotics below the gumline\u2014directly where you need them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n More advanced cases of periodontitis, however, may need surgical treatments to open up your gums and clean the roots of your teeth more directly or remove infected gum tissue. You may also need treatments to repair damage from periodontitis, such as gum grafts, bone grafts, or tooth restorations<\/a> like dental implants. These restorative treatments can be an equally important part of periodontitis treatment, helping to restore the function, health, and appearance of your smile while also helping protect it from future oral health issues.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thankfully, despite how serious gum disease can be, it\u2019s incredibly easy to prevent! Preventing it is usually as simple as sticking to a great oral hygiene routine, which means brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day, flossing at least once a day, and using mouthwash daily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You should also make sure to schedule a regular dental appointment every six months. It\u2019s during this appointment that your dentist gives you a thorough dental cleaning, which actively helps prevent gum disease by removing plaque and hardened tartar from your teeth. During your dental exam, your dentist will also be able to spot any early signs of gum disease, so it can be essential to identifying signs of gingivitis in its earliest stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also a great idea to be aware of your risk factors for developing gum disease. This is especially true if you\u2019ve had gum disease before, as having it once does make you more likely to develop it again. When you know your risk factors, you can take steps to minimize or eliminate them, better protecting yourself from gum disease. This is another aspect of gum disease prevention that your dentist can help you with! They can discuss your risk factors with you, answer any of your questions about them, and give you tips on how to manage or minimize them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While gum disease is incredibly common, impacting a staggering number of American adults, you don\u2019t need to struggle with it! It\u2019s incredibly easy to prevent and knowing what signs to look out for can help you identify any issues early. Learning about gum disease truly does empower you to take control of this aspect of your health! If you\u2019d like to learn more about gum disease from a modern dentist in Bedford, TX<\/a>, or if it\u2019s time to schedule your regular dental appointment, feel free to schedule a consultation<\/a> with us at any time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Equipping You to Understand and Prevent Gum Disease What would you do if we said that there\u2019s an oral health condition that the majority of American adults have? You\u2019d want to know more, right? Well, it\u2019s true! Gum disease is one of the most common oral health issues out there\u2014gingivitis alone affects 75% of American…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":789,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[87],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/davisfamilydentists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/davisfamilydentists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/davisfamilydentists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davisfamilydentists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davisfamilydentists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=788"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/davisfamilydentists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":794,"href":"https:\/\/davisfamilydentists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788\/revisions\/794"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davisfamilydentists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/davisfamilydentists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davisfamilydentists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davisfamilydentists.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}1. What is gum disease?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2. What are the stages of gum disease? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. What causes gum disease?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. What are the risk factors for gum disease?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5. What are the signs of gingivitis?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. What are the signs of periodontitis?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
7. How does gum disease affect my overall health?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
8. How is gingivitis treated?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
9. How is periodontitis treated?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
10. How can you prevent gum disease?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Davis Family Dental Care is your first line of defense against gum disease. <\/h2>\n\n\n\n