I want to welcome everyone to this blog that will deal with the education and treatment of gum disease. The majority of the population has gum disease, in various forms, and that disease mostly goes untreated. About 85% of the population has gum disease in some form. Gum disease can be from the very mild to severe, where loss of teeth will occur.
Gum disease in general is a disease of the gums, around the teeth, where bacteria get down along the teeth and cause bleeding, infection, and bone loss. Once the disease progresses long enough, the teeth lose support and could be lost. In the early stages of gum disease, or periodontal disease, the treatment is very simple and can be routine. But if the disease progresses, more advanced treatment might be needed.
Other forms of gum disease include the loss of tissue around the teeth, mainly called gum recession. This exposes the tooth and causes sensitivity of teeth. Eventually, without treatment, gum recession will lead to bone loss and tooth loss. As specialists in gum disease treatments, periodontists will do gum grafting procedures to correct the recession defects.
When gum disease is too severe, and teeth are lost, periodontists are specialists in replacing missing teeth with dental implants. Since we work so intimately with the bone and the gums, we are experts in rebuilding missing bone and replacing missing teeth with dental implants.
As more people keep their teeth longer, seeing a periodontist for routine dental care or dental implants is paramount to having a healthy mouth and long term, problem free teeth. It is very important that you see a periodontist for a thorough evaluation regarding the health of your mouth and for replacement of missing teeth with dental implants.
