Local Dental Care - Gum Therapy

Gingivitis and Gum Disease Basics

It afflicts as many as nine in ten adults at some point in their lives, as well as teenagers and children as young as five or six years of age. Yet, many suffer from it without even suspecting anything is wrong.

"It" is periodontal disease, or gingivitis - in the minds of most dentists, Public Enemy Number one for teeth.

Only for the last 30 years have researchers understood that gum disease is an infectious disorder, caused by many different species of bacteria. But even today, there is no cure. Fortunately, we have learned a good deal about what periodontal disease is and what can be done about it.

Behind the scenes

The culprits in gum disease are the bacteria that thrive in the crevices between gums and teeth, accumulating in the form of plaque, a hard, colorless film. Plaque produces toxins that not only irritate gums and cause bad breath, but can eventually attack connective tissue, bone and teeth.

These crevices become "pockets" where the bacteria lodge and begin to erode the tissues that connect gums with teeth. If periodontal disease isn't checked, the pockets deepen. The havoc spreads. Eventually, the bone around the teeth and roots is destroyed - and the teeth soon follow.

Sounding the alarm

How can you tell if you have a periodontal problem?

If you have bleeding gums or if you have swollen gums, gingivitis may be the reason why. But mouth disease can strike silently, without any pain or obvious signs.

Any bleeding from your gums should be a tip-off. Make sure you're doing a thorough but gentle job of brushing and flossing every day. If bleeding persists, it's time to see your periodontist. Different people have different levels of susceptibility to periodontal disease, and some forms - including those that affect children and adolescents - can develop quite rapidly.

Not everyone who has gingivitis disease goes on to develop more serious periodontal problems. Some people manage to reverse the disease or stop the progress of chronic gingivitis when it flares up.

Until there's a cure, the fundamentals of gum disease prevention - regular professional care and careful brushing and flossing at home - are still the best line of offense for good dental health.

Ways to fight back

• Periodontal disease can be checked and often reversed with simple preventive measures: brushing, flossing and professional cleaning to remove plaque and stimulate gum circulation.
• If the problem has become more serious, the dentist may do what's called scaling and planing - deep scraping of plaque from under the gum line, and smoothing of root and tooth surfaces so gum tissues have a better chance to reattach.
• Promising new gum disease treatment is already on the horizon: antiseptic or antibiotic drugs placed at the site of infection. And new chlorhexidine mouthwashes that may help prevent the formation of plaque.

+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.

Bleeding Gums, Stop the Battle of Gum Disease

You probably know people who are always pushing hard, taking every opening, never giving up. That describes gum disease. It's relentless, ongoing, and bleeding gums aren't the worst of it.

That's why, when you're diagnosed with periodontal disease, it seems you're in the dentist's office all the time. And it isn't far from the truth, because you'll need to be as focused and relentless as the gum disease in order to defeat it.

Your dentist can tell you all you need to know about treatment. As your care proceeds, you'll learn even more. Your dentist will use the most advanced treatments available to treat your bleeding gums, and you'll continue your care at home, every day.

Periodontal treatment seems endless because the gum disease process is ongoing. While we're containing bacterial infection in one part of your mouth, your dentist will also try to stop it from gaining control in another area. It's a constant battle, one you're a key part of.

The first step is determining if you have periodontal disease. Millions of Americans suffer with gum disease, so if you do, you're not alone. And even with constant attention, periodontal disease can keep recurring, again and again.

So it's important that you keep every appointment. Your dental professionals will do their best to accommodate your schedule, but remember, gum disease doesn't cut you any slack and often gives no advance warning. So if you want to avoid bleeding gums, you'll have to make the commitment to see your dentist, often.

+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.