Is
a serious infection of the gums caused by plaque buildup at the gumline.
PERIODONTAL
DISEASE IS USUALLY A PAINLESS PROGRESSIVE INFECTIOUS DISEASE
Gingivitis is inflammation of your gum tissue and is
the beginning stage of periodontal or gum disease.
Gingivitis is one of the most common untreated infections.
After
35, approximately three out of four adults develop some form of gum disease.
Plaque-induced gingivitis is defined as inflammation of the
gingiva in the absence of clinical attachment loss.*
Gingivitis
damages your gums and reduces their ability to protect vulnerable areas.
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Gingivitis, and its progression to
periodontitis, starts with the plaque that forms mostly at the gumline at the
base of the visible part of your teeth.
This plaque is caused by food debris and
bacteria that grow in this area.
This group of harmful bacteria begins to recolonize and
dominate in only 24 hours after you brush. Their levels of toxins
continue to increase causing an infection that can damage your gums and
affect your immune system.
If
this plaque is not removed daily it will harden to form calculus (tartar) around
the necks of your teeth.
This
calculus will often result in a mechanical irritation that damages your gums.
Additionally, calculus provides an area on which more bacteria easily grow,
plaque and calculus will, if not removed, continue to grow and form deep pockets
at the base of your teeth that will sooner or later fill with pus, infect
the bone and cause tooth loss.
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Blood
on your toothbrush or dental floss is one of the earliest and most common signs
of advanced gingivitis. Other
signs of advance gingivitis are:
Your
gums should never bleed while brushing or flossing.
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If
your oral hygiene habits are poor, gingivitis may progress to periodontitis. This
disease attacks your gums, bones and supporting structures of your teeth
leading to tooth loss.
You can never completely get rid of all the
bacteria in your mouth but brushing and flossing make sure the number of bacteria
you do have is in a safe range. A common mistake most people make is to brush
but not floss. This allows bacteria to build up to dangerous levels between
your teeth where brushing alone cannot reach. When any one group or family
of bacteria begin to dominate their levels of toxins increase to a
point where they cause an infection.
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The good news is that in advance gingivitis:
· No bone
structure around the teeth has yet been lost.
· It is preventable.
· Easier to treat in a non-surgical manner.
· Less costly to treat in its early stages.
Reattached
gum tissue to a spotlessly clean root
surface
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· And it is reversible through:
1.
Professional treatments-to remove this harmful bacterial growth from you
teeth and gums. You will be
placed in the
green program which includes two sessions:
A. Session 1:
1. Full mouth debridement to remove
contamination above gum
line
2. One quadrant of Root
Planing
and Scaling consisting
of nine or less teeth to
remove
contamination above
and
below the gum line
3. Irrigation with medications
4. Perio bag including home care
items
5. Oral Hygiene Instructions
B. Session 2:
1.
Remeasuring and updating
perio
charting
2. Cleaning with
ultrasonic scaler and medication
placement.
2.
Three month perio maintenance visit to remove the tartar, which harbors and nurtures the growth of
undesirable bacteria.
You need to be seen every 3-4 months because
that's about how long it takes for the
biofilm to re-establish causing bacteria
infection.
3.
Good brushing for a
minimum of twice a day and after meals (if possible) using your soft bristled
perio instrument (Rota-dent) for at least two
minutes.
4. Daily flossing
Start cleaning BETWEEN your
teeth. Periodontal disease begins
between the teeth. The area
between the teeth are more prone to
infection than facial or tongue gum tissue
surfaces simply by anatomy. This
tissue is not keratinized like tissue found
on the facial and tongue surfaces.
Non-keratinized tissue is more susceptible
to breakdown. It is also a very
protected area, NOT reached by brushing or
rinsing.
Since the
disease starts between the teeth, it makes sense to start
cleaning in between the teeth and than brush. You can
clean this area with interdental
brushes, picks, sticks, oral
irrigation, and automatic flossers.
remember this disease needs to be treated both in the office and
at home.++
5. Use of Periogard, an antimicrobial
medicated mouthrinse.
6. Daily fluoride treatments.
7.
Do not smoke or use alcoholic
beverages while your gums are inflamed.
8.
Good dietary habits.
Cut back on foods and beverages that contain sugar.
9.
On
going education about your dental
health.
To insure successful results following periodontal treatments, patient
cooperation in maintaining excellent oral hygiene is essential.
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Remember:
If left untreated,
advance
gingivitis will develop into periodontitis which will
lead to:
