" Smile Is A Curve Which Sets Lot Of Things Straight"
If your hands bled when you washed them, you would be concerned. Yet, many people think its normal if their gums bleed when they brush or floss.
What Is Gum Disease?
The term gum disease or periodontal disease describes bacterial growth and production of factors that gradually destroy the tissue surrounding and supporting the teeth. "Periodontal" means "around the tooth." Periodontal disease is commonly known as PYORRHOEA.
Gum disease begins with plaque, which is always forming on the surface of healthy teeth. When it accumulates to excessive levels, it can harden into a substance called tartar (calculus). Tartar is so tightly bound to teeth that it can be removed only during a professional cleaning(Scaling).
Gingivitis and periodontitis are the two main stages of gum disease. Although gingivitis usually precedes periodontitis, it's important to know that not all gingivitis progresses to periodontitis.
In the early stage of gingivitis, the gums can become red and swollen and bleed easily, often during tooth brushing. Bleeding, although not always a symptom of gingivitis is a signal that your mouth is unhealthy and needs attention. The gums may be irritated, but the teeth are still firmly planted in their sockets. No bone or other tissue damage has occurred at this stage
When gingivitis is left untreated, it can advance to periodontitis. At this point, the inner layer of the gum and bone pull away from the teeth (recede) and form pockets. These small spaces between teeth and gums may collect debris and can become infected. As the disease progresses, the pockets deepen and more gum tissue and bone are destroyed.
At this point, because there is no longer an anchor for the teeth, they become progressively looser, and the ultimate outcome is tooth loss.
Signs and Symptoms
Periodontal disease may progress painlessly, producing few obvious signs, even in the late stages of the disease. Although the symptoms of periodontal disease often are subtle, the condition is not entirely without warning signs. Certain symptoms may point to some form of the disease. They include:
Even if you don't notice any symptoms, you may still have some degree of gum disease. Some people have gum disease only around certain teeth, such as those in the back of the mouth, which they cannot see. Only a dentist can recognize and determine the progression of gum disease. It is therefore always advisable to have a dental check-up once every six months.
Researchers have established connections between gum disease and:
Even if you don't notice any symptoms, you may still have some degree of gum disease. Some people have gum disease only around certain teeth, such as those in the back of the mouth, which they cannot see. Only a dentist can recognize and determine the progression of gum disease. It is therefore always advisable to have a dental check-up once every six months.
Treatment
The goal of periodontal treatment is to control any infection that exists and to halt progression of the disease. Treatment plan also involves home care that includes healthy eating and proper brushing and flossing, non-surgical therapy that controls the growth of harmful bacteria.
If your dentist determines that you have some bone loss or that the gums have receded from the teeth, the standard treatment is an intensive deep-cleaning, called scaling and root planing (SRP). Scaling is done with an electronic device called the ultrasonic scaler which removes all the tartar accumulated along with the bacteria thus giving the mouth a clean and fresh feel. Root planing smoothes rough spots on the tooth root where germs collect and helps remove bacteria that can contribute to the disease. This smooth, clean surface helps allow the gums to reattach to the teeth. This is an absolutely painless procedure.
Only brushing well cannot substitute for scaling as scaling is the correction of the damage already done whereas brushing is a part of the maintenance therapy.
Will cleaning (scaling) loosen my teeth?
Scaling is a process in which the plaque and calculus (tartar) is removed from around the tooth surface. Removal of moderate amounts of calculus, gives cleaner teeth and eventually healthy bone forms around it. However if the calculus is allowed to accumulate, a thick layer is formed around the tooth, which leads to extensive loss of bone and gums that is irreplaceable. This leads to mobility of the tooth. The removal of calculus may therefore give the ‘feeling’ that cleaning caused the tooth loss.
Teeth do not become loose after scaling
In more advanced cases of disease, surgery to restore supportive tissues around the teeth may be necessary. As the common saying goes “a stitch in time saves nine”, getting scaling and polishing done today may avoid gum surgery and tooth loss tomorrow.
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