Periodontal Disease Lomita Torrance Dental Office
Preventing and treating periodontal disease is an important part of your overall oral health care plan. Healthy teeth need both healthy gums and bone to hold them in place and protect their roots.
At Lomita-Torrance Dental, we offer total periodontal care to keep your gums in great shape and free from periodontal disease. If gum disease is currently a concern, we will work with you to treat the condition and prevent it from progressing any further.
Risk Factors of Periodontal Disease Include the following:
- Poor dental hygiene
- Smoking or chewing tobacco
- Poor nutrition
- High levels of stress
- Diabetes
- Down Syndrome
- AIDS
- Certain medications including steroids, oral contraceptives or blood pressure medication
- Fillings or crowns with deep grooves or poor contouring
- Genetics: Children who have parents with periodontitis are 12 times more likely to have the bacteria that can lead to periodontal disease.
Gum disease is often silent, meaning symptoms may not appear until an advanced stage of the disease.
Warning Signs of Gum Disease Include the following:
- Red, swollen or tender gums or other pain in your mouth
- Bleeding while brushing, flossing, or eating hard food
- Gums that are receding or pulling away from the teeth, causing the teeth to look longer than before
- Loose or separating teeth
- Pus between your gums and teeth
- Sores in your mouth
- Persistent bad breath
- A change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite
- A change in the fit of partial dentures
Millions of people don’t know they have this serious infection that can lead to tooth loss if not treated.
What Is Periodontal Disease?
Periodontal disease occurs when inflammation and infections affect your gums and jaw bone. Mild gum disease, or gingivitis, is very common and can usually be reversed by making simple changes to your dental hygiene habits (and sometimes adding an antimicrobial mouthwash). Early gingivitis symptoms include mild swelling and redness in your gums.
As periodontal disease advances, your gums become more inflamed and your jaw bone is damaged. You may notice bleeding, especially while brushing. Your gums may recede from your teeth, and you will develop pockets where infections can occur. Luckily, plenty of research has been done in the field of periodontal care, and many treatments are available today to stop even advanced gum and bone disease and repair the damage that has been done.
Periodontal diseases are ongoing infections of the gums that gradually destroy the support of your natural teeth. Periodontal disease affects one or more of the periodontal tissues: alveolar bone, periodontal ligament, cementum, or gingiva. While there are many diseases which affect the tooth-supporting structures, plaque-induced inflammatory lesions make up the majority of periodontal issues, and are divided into two categories: gingivitis and periodontitis. While gingivitis, the less serious of the diseases, may never progress into periodontitis, it always precedes periodontitis.
Types of Gum Disease
Untreated gingivitis can advance to periodontitis and can eventually lead to tooth loss and other health problems.
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is the mildest form of periodontal disease. It causes the gums to become red, swollen, and bleed easily. There is usually little or no discomfort at this stage. Gingivitis is often caused by inadequate oral hygiene. Gingivitis is reversible with professional treatment and good oral home care. Factors that may contribute to gingivitis include, diabetes, smoking, aging, genetic predisposition, systemic diseases and conditions, stress, inadequate nutrition, puberty, hormonal fluctuations, pregnancy, substance abuse, HIV infection, and certain medication use.
Periodontitis
Untreated gingivitis can advance to periodontitis. With time, plaque can spread and grow below the gum line. Toxins produced by the bacteria in plaque irritate the gums. The toxins stimulate a chronic inflammatory response in which the body in essence turns on itself, and the tissues and bone that support the teeth are broken down and destroyed. Gums separate from the teeth, forming pockets (spaces between the teeth and gums) that become infected. As the disease progresses, the pockets deepen and more gum tissue and bone are destroyed. Often, this destructive process has very mild symptoms. Eventually, teeth can become loose and may have to be removed.
There are many forms of periodontitis. The most common ones include the following:
Aggressive Periodontitis
It occurs in patients who are otherwise clinically healthy. Common features include rapid attachment loss and bone destruction and familial aggregation.
Chronic Periodontitis
It results in inflammation within the supporting tissues of the teeth, progressive attachment and bone loss. This is the most frequently occurring form of periodontitis and is characterized by pocket formation and/or recession of the gingiva. It is prevalent in adults, but can occur at any age. Progression of attachment loss usually occurs slowly, but periods of rapid progression can occur.
Periodontitis as A Manifestation of Systemic Diseases
It often begins at a young age. Systemic conditions such as heart disease, respiratory disease, and diabetes are associated with this form of periodontitis.
Necrotizing Periodontal Disease
It is an infection characterized by necrosis of gingival tissues, periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. These lesions are most commonly observed in individuals with systemic conditions such as HIV infection, malnutrition and immunosuppression.
Treating Periodontal Disease Lomita Torrance Dental, CA
The American Academy of Periodontology treatment guidelines stress that periodontal health should be achieved in the least invasive and most effective manner. This is often accomplished through non-surgical periodontal treatment.
The first step in treating periodontal disease after it has been diagnosed is performing scaling and root planing, or deep cleaning. Scaling and root planing is a careful cleaning of the root surfaces to remove plaque and calculus [tartar] from deep periodontal pockets and to smooth the tooth root to remove bacterial toxins. Scaling and root planing is sometimes followed by adjunctive therapy such as local delivery antimicrobials, systemic antibiotics, and host modulation, as needed on a case-by-case basis.
Most periodontists would agree that after scaling and root planing, many patients do not require any further active treatment. However, patients will require ongoing maintenance therapy at 3 month intervals to sustain health. Non-surgical periodontal treatment does have its limitations. When it does not achieve periodontal health, surgery may be indicated to restore periodontal health.
Preventing Gum Disease Lomita Torrance Dental
Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, is caused when bacteria in plaque (a sticky, colorless film that forms in the mouth) builds up between the gums and teeth. When the bacteria begin to grow, the gums surrounding the tooth can become inflamed.
If left untreated, this inflammation can cause the gums and supporting bone structure to deteriorate. This can lead to gum recession or even tooth loss. In addition, research has shown that gum disease may be associated with other diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.
Luckily, periodontal disease can be preventable. Adding these habits to your daily routine can help.
Brush Your Teeth
Brushing after meals helps remove food debris and plaque trapped between your teeth and gums. Don’t forget to include your tongue, bacteria love to hide there.
Floss
Flossing at least once a day helps remove food particles and plaque between teeth and along the gum line that your toothbrush can’t quite reach.
Swish with Mouthwash
Using a mouthwash can help reduce plaque and can remove remaining food particles that brushing and flossing missed.
Know Your Risk
Age, smoking, diet and genetics can all increase your risk for periodontal disease. If you are at increased risk, be sure to talk with your periodontist or schedule an appointment with Dr. Teboul for a comprehensive periodontal evaluation. A comprehensive periodontal evaluation looks at your teeth, plaque level, gums, bite, bone structure and other risk factors for periodontal disease. Identifying symptoms of gum disease early is key to protecting your teeth and gums.
When to See a Periodontist?
Gum disease is often silent, meaning symptoms may not appear until an advanced stage of the disease. However, warning signs of gum disease include the following:
- Red, swollen or tender gums or other pain in your mouth
- Bleeding while brushing, flossing, or eating hard food
- Gums that are receding or pulling away from the teeth, causing the teeth to look longer than before
- Loose or separating teeth
- Pus between your gums and teeth
- Sores in your mouth
- Persistent bad breath
- A change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite
- A change in the fit of partial dentures
Millions of people don’t know they have this serious infection that can lead to tooth loss if not treated.
The American Academy of Periodontology recommends an annual comprehensive periodontal evaluation to assess your periodontal health and identify conditions such as periodontal disease that may need additional treatment.
Recent research has indicated that the prevalence of periodontal disease in the U.S. may be significantly higher than originally estimated. This means that all adults should thoroughly assess the state of their periodontal health to receive accurate information about the health of their mouths.
By assessing your oral health on an annual basis, you and your dental professional will know how healthy your mouth is, and will be better able to notice any conditions, such as periodontal disease, that may need additional treatment.
Research has also shown, and experts agree, that there is an association between periodontal disease and other chronic inflammatory conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory diseases. Therefore, it is very important to treat the inflammation that causes periodontal disease as soon as possible to ensure that your entire body stays healthy.
Thousands of Satisfied Patients
Personalized and Long-term Solutions for You
Now is the time to become the happiest and healthiest version of you.
Ready To Start Your Smile Journey?
Your new smile is only a few clicks away - fill out the form below and someone from our team will get in touch with you!
Lomita-Torrance Dental Office
Our Hours
Quick Links