Local Dental Care - Severe Gingivitis

Periodontitis and Gum Disease Treatment

It's natural to want to lump people together in some Big Category. Natural, but wrong. Like, "Baby Boomer." President Clinton and home run slugger Mark McGwire are both "Boomers." But are these two guys exactly alike?

It's the same in health and dental care. Your oral chemistry is as unique as your thumbprint. Yet magazine stories claim "you" need only one dental appointment a year to stay healthy. They don't know you. They're referring to an "average" patient. Dental insurance plans also tend to believe in this mythical "average patient" and may not pay for more than a biannual visit.

Sure, two visits are fine for many patients, even most. But some mouths build up more tartar than others. Others are naturally decay-prone. Still others - and this is critical - may be showing signs of periodontal (gum) disease.

Bleeding gums need to be taken seriously. They're signs of an infection that can be a significant risk factor for heart disease, and, in fact, many serious illnesses. If you had a bleeding sore on your hand that didn't heal you'd get to a doctor for a checkup, right? Type I periodontitis (gingivitis) consists of tender gums and a little bacteria-filled pocket between your tooth and gum. It's easily treatable at this point. But if the infected pockets are allowed to enlarge and you get swollen gums, that inflammation can extend to the bone beneath and erode it.

Your periodontist's concern is for your health and your teeth, not whether you've made the standard number of appointments for this year. He or she wants the chemistry to be right in your mouth... and between the two of you.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

Periodontal Disease

Which affliction is more widespread?

• Terminal lovesickness
• The heartbreak of psoriasis
• The common cold
• Periodontal disease

Not even winter colds (or Cupid's arrows) strike as many of us as gingivitis - gum disease. As many as 75% of adults will be victimized sometime in their lifetimes.

If this infection could grow on your arm, you'd be horrified. Instead, periodontal disease does its dirty work out of sight: inside your mouth. Left alone, it opens up gaps between gums and teeth. Too soon, you're on your way to losing your teeth entirely.

How can I stop it?

Mouth disease comes from sticky, invisible colonies of bacteria called plaque that live in the crevices between gums and teeth. Left by themselves, these critters organize to do their damage. If they're disorganized at least once every 24 hours, they never get time to recolonize and continue the infection.

Periodontal (gum) disease and gingivitis prevention is a matter of disturbing these bacterial pests daily. That means first brushing your teeth with a soft toothbrush. Then working dental floss down between the margin of your teeth and gums to dislodge plaque colonies that have built up during the day.

So much of your periodontal and gum disease treatment depends on what you're willing to do about your dental health. With vigilant home care and regular exams, together with your periodontist you can beat the statistics.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.