Okay, here’s a truism: Nothing say lovin’ like something from the oven. Here’s another one: Nothing says “You are sooooo disgusting” more than a mouthful of rotting, blackened teeth, with the resultant horrid halitosis that comes with advanced tooth decay.
Bad breath is one of the warning signs of gum disease.
Gum disease and tooth decay go hand in hand, but they are not a match made in heaven. More of a match made in hell, and one that is usually completely preventable – with a little self-discipline coupled with regular attention from your local dentist.
Gum disease comes in many forms, but if left untreated the result is the same: tooth loss. There are two main types of gum disease, gingivitis and periodontitis, and neither are very pleasant. And if you get one it may indeed develop into the other, as gingivitis can – although not always – turn into periodontitis.
Gingivitis is known as the mildest form of periodontal disease (peridontal means around the tooth). It usually causes mild symptom such as minor gum bleeding and swelling, and can be reversed with a proper course of action from the dentist. The usual cause is poor dental hygiene, although genetics and underlying medical conditions can also be culprits.
With gingivitis there is no tissue or bone damage – in other words, the teeth have not started to become loose from their sockets. Periodontitis, however, can take many forms, ranging from mild to severe. It occurs when gingivitis is left untreated, and eventually causes inflammation of the gums due to plaque irritation below the gum line.
As periodontitis progresses, it causes inflammation of the gums. Eventually the tissue and bone which support them become destroyed – and the teeth fall out. It goes without saying that if your periodontitis is that advanced, your teeth are already in a bad state as well. So losing them could be a blessing in disguise!
Several types of periodontitis exist, including:
Aggressive periodontitis: More aggressive form that can appear even in childhood. Also known as early onset periodontitis, and can be the result of genetics.
Chronic periodontitis: Also known as adult periodontitis, it can appear in adolescence.
Disease-related periodontitis: Often the result of a condition which lowers the immune system and thus weakens the body’s ability to fight infection. Common culprits are HIV, diabetes and, interestingly, Down’s syndrome.
Necrotizing periodontal disease: Causes acute infection characterized by dead tissue in the mouth, bleeding, pain and a nasty smell. Get thee to a periodontist, quick!
Gum Disease Warning Signs
There are several ways to detect the early warning signs of gum disease, which would warrant a visit to the dental professional. They are:
- Bleeding gums, especially when you brush your teeth or rinse your mouth afterward
- Persistent bad breath
- On rare occasions a gum abscess can leave pus oozing from the teeth (there’s a nice thought!)
Ways to Prevent Gum Disease
Gingivitis can be prevented through a strict course of action that does not allow the plaque on the teeth to build up. Daily flossing and brushing are de rigueur, as well as regular professional cleanings.
However, we can also get gum disease as the result of other conditions, some of which are out of our control, such as diabetes and hormonal fluctuations, and some of which aren’t, such as a bad diet, smoking and taking certain drugs.
Important ways to prevent gum disease include:
Stop smoking. Smokers are seven times more likely to acquire periodontitis than non-smokers, and the success of some treatments will be much less if you smoke than if you don’t.
Eat a healthy diet. Eating a diet rich in fresh fruit and veg and poor in sugary, processed foods can help your teeth. Avoiding too many fizzy, sugary drinks is also important, as well as trying not to immerse your teeth in sugar baths (lollipops, sugar-rich gum etc). Eating foods rich in vitamins E and C can also help boost your immune system, which is important in maintaining strong teeth.
Reduce your daily levels of stress: Too much stress weakens the immune system as well.
Getting professional help to stop teeth grinding and/or excessive clenching. This can wear away the teeth and eventually have an effect on the gums as well.
There are many ways in which gum disease is treated, depending on how much the condition has progressed.
Non-surgical treatments include:
Professional Cleaning: To get rid of excess plaque build-up before it results in full-blown periodontitis.
Gum Scaling and Root Planing: Plaque and tartar are scraped away and planed to make the area smooth and plaque-free. Done under local anesthetic both above and below the gum line.
Surgical treatments include:
Pocket Reduction Surgery: Gum tissue is folded back and the bacteria in the “pocket” made as a result of gum disease is cleaned away. Surfaces of damaged bone can also be smoothed at the same time to make it easier for the gum tissue to reattach itself to the bone.
Soft Tissue Grafts: Using a flap of tissue from the gum or mouth to enlarge the existing gums.
Guided Tissue Regeneration: Helps bone and tissue to regrow around a tooth that is in danger. The soft tissue is pulled away, the tooth is cleaned and infected tissues removed. A small GTR membrane is then placed between the tooth and the tissue to separate them so that slow-growing fibers will advance to the area, along with bone cells.
Bone Grafts: Similar to the above but the bone is then filled in with graft material to encourage re-growth after the tooth has been cleaned and pulled away from the soft tissue.
Having gum disease not only makes you unattractive – it can cause fatal injury as well. In some cases, specifically when the immune system is already weakened due to other reasons, the bacteria in the mouth travels through the body, and can cause heart disease and stroke – and it can also make diabetes worse.
So if you are not taking proper care of your gums and teeth, start doing so – before it’s too late.
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