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The Effects of Periodontitis
Periodontitis is an oral disease that progressively affects the structures of your mouth. The early stage of periodontitis is called gingivitis which only affects the soft tissues such as your gums but can be relatively painless making it difficult to pinpoint.
Plaque collects on your teeth and along the gum line, then hardens into a rough, porous deposit referred to as tartar or calculus. Pockets form between the teeth and irritated gums, and bacteria collect here, which can lead to other health problems such as cardiovascular disease. If this happens you will need to visit the dentist to have them use special tools to remove it before it causes any complications.
In its advanced stages, periodontitis can cause loss of bone structure and deterioration of gums - eventually even tooth loss. In fact, gum disease is one of the most common causes of tooth loss in adults.
That’s why removing plaque with a rigorous daily hygiene routine of brushing and flossing as well as attending regular dental hygiene appointments are key for prevention – and for maintaining your oral health.
Can you prevent periodontitis from occurring?
Here are some other tips that you may or may not know about preventing gum disease:
Read up about your medications. Certain medications can contribute to and aggravate gum disease, including antidepressants, heart medicines and oral contraceptives.
Get more vitamins A and C. These can both be obtained by a healthy diet that can help prevent periodontitis. Conversely, cut sugary and starchy foods, which allow plaque to build.
Seek dental care for potential issues as soon as possible. Correct dental problems or oral health issues such as teeth grinding, or misaligned or crowded teeth. It can be more challenging to properly clean teeth that aren’t properly spaced, thus providing room for plaque to grow and thrive.
Massage your gums often. Along with brushing and flossing regularly (at least twice a day for two minutes each time for brushing, and once daily for thorough flossing), show your gums some love by gently massaging them, which increases blood flow to the tissue.
Use dental products with added fluoride. This key ingredient removes the buildup of plaque bacteria along the gum line without irritating gums.
Don't pick up bad habits such as smoking. Smoking is not only strongly associated with the onset of gum disease, but it also makes it more difficult for your gums to heal once they’re damaged, as smoking weakens the immune system.
Look into your potential risk factors. Whether genetics, diet, age, smoking or other factors make you more susceptible to periodontitis, knowledge is power when it comes to reducing your risk and staying healthy.
See if your dentist offers periodontal treatment. The earlier your dentist can detect periodontitis (if you do get it), the better. That's because it's easier to treat gum disease in its earlier stages than when it has advanced to the point that you start to lose teeth or jaw bone tissue. Depending on how far the disease has progressed and its severity, there are surgical and non-surgical options for treatment.
You can help prevent gum disease with a good oral hygiene routine and routine professional dental care. Our gums are as important as our teeth when it comes to our oral health, so it’s important not to neglect them.