Home | Health | Diseases And Conditions

Gum Disease - Causes and Treatment

By: drhawary irviveCA

Read More About Diseases and Conditions

Gum disease is also known as periodontal disease. Periodontal infection is a disease of the tissues and bone that support the teeth. If the gum disease is untreated then it can become very serious, causing teeth to become loose or fall out. Gum disease is usually caused by a build up of plaque, which is an invisible sticky layer of germs that forms unsurprisingly on the teeth and gums. Plaque contains bacteria, which manufacture contaminants that may irritate and damage the gums.
Here are some of the stages of Gum Diseases:
1. Gingivitis: This is the most primitive stage of gum disease, a tenderness of the gums caused by plaque buildup at the gum line. If daily brushing and flossing do not remove the plaque, it produces toxins (poisons) that can irritate the gum tissue, causing gingivitis. You might have noticed some bleeding during brushing and flossing and that is because of plague. At this early stage in gum disease, damage can be reversed, since the bone and connective tissue that hold the teeth in place are not yet affected.

2. Periodontitis: This is the stage where the supporting bone and fibers that hold your teeth in place are irreversibly damaged. Your gums may begin to form a pocket below the gum line, which entraps food and plaque. Proper dental treatment and improved home care can usually help prevent supplementary damage.

3. Complex/Advanced Periodontitis: In this final stage of gum disease, the fibers and bone supporting your teeth are completely smashed, which can cause your teeth to shift or loosen. This can affect your bite and, if aggressive treatment can't save them, teeth may need to be detached.
Causes of Gum Disease
To be aware of the treatment of gum disease, you have got to come to know what will take place when the gums are infected. Gum disease is caused by the germs [bacteria] that are normally in the mouth. The types of bacteria may vary with some patients having more types that are associated with aggressive gum disease. The bacteria then accumulate where the gums meet the teeth. The gums normally form a "ditch" or "sulcus" that goes completely around the tooth. Once the bacteria cause the gums to become infected, the gums isolate from the teeth.
When the gums are healthy, the normal depth of the "sulcus" is 1-3 millimeters. When the gums detach from the teeth as a result of the gum disease, a diseased "sulcus" is called a "pocket" and the "pocket" has a depth deeper than the 1-3 millimeters of the "sulcus".

Other Common Reasons for Gum Diseases:
a) Hormonal Changes Related to the Pregnancy.
The alterations in a pregnant woman's hormone levels can increase her chance of getting gum disease. The milder form of gum disease is called as "pregnancy gingivitis
b) Smoking.
Smoking has a huge impact on oral health. Smoking will aid to build a plague on your teeth eventually resulting in gum diseases. Continual smoking will minimize the blood flow in our body which in turn will prevent the nutrients from reaching the tissues around the teeth. The supporting bone will also recede and the tooth will become loose.
c) Floss
One of the most important things you can do to prevent gum disease is to floss daily before you brush. The best time to floss (if you're only going to do it once a day) is in the evening before you retire.
Treatment Overview
Early treatment of gum disease is very important. The goals of treatment are to prevent gum disease from permanently damaging tissues, control infection, and prevent tooth loss. For treatment to be effective, you will need to:
1. Keep your teeth clean by brushing two times a day and flossing one time a day.
2. See your dentist regularly for checkups and cleanings.
3. Avoid all tobacco use. Tobacco decreases your ability to fight infection, interferes with healing, and makes you more likely to have serious gum disease that results.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Dr. Hawary II Dr. Ihab Emil Hawary

Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Diseases and Conditions Articles Via RSS!
Additional Articles From - Home | Health | Diseases And Conditions
Sign Up for a free account.
Our other websites
All about SEO
Beauty Tips Forum
Submit Articles
Member Login
Link Us
Submission Guidelines
Ezine Notifications
Article RSS Feeds
Sitemap
New Stuff
About Us
Developer
Good shopping portal
Link to Us
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service

counter easy hit

Powered by Article Dashboard