Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is a gum disease that should be avoided as it can cause serious damage to the mouth. When your mouth is not healthy you are much more susceptible to having both oral problems and health problems making proper mouth care an extremely important part of living a healthy lifestyle. There are a few reasons why someone may not be taking proper care of their mouth including being too busy to take the time to brush and floss their teeth every day as well as simply not understanding the steps required for basic oral hygiene.

Periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss as well as a number of additional health problems if the bacteria from periodontal disease enters the bloodstream.

Periodontal disease causes

Periodontal disease is caused when plaque forms and stays on the teeth. Plaque that is not properly removed will eventually lead to gingivitis and is the very beginning stages of periodontal disease. When someone receives a gingivitis diagnosis it means that their gums are beginning to or are already becoming irritated and inflamed, requiring professional treatment in order to repair. When plaque hardens it turns into tartar, which is not only much more difficult to remove tartar tends to support the growth of bacteria that can lead to additional oral health problems.

Periodontal disease prevention

The good news is that periodontitis disease is completely preventable. The act of brushing our teeth at least twice a day and flossing at least once a day is one of the best ways to prevent someone from getting diagnosed with periodontal disease. It only takes about three minutes total to brush our teeth in the morning and another three minutes at night, a small amount of time to give for our good oral health. Another two minutes is required in order to floss the teeth, which is necessary in order to remove any food particles that may be stuck in between the teeth.

Types of periodontal disease

Chronic periodontal disease is the most common type that people are diagnosed with and is caused when there is too much buildup of plaque on the teeth, which will cause a slow deterioration of the teeth and gums requiring dental assistance in order to repair. Aggressive periodontal disease is diagnosed when a patient has a healthy mouth yet is experiencing gum issues.

Periodontal disease symptoms

The symptoms associated with periodontal disease are easy to notice and include but are not limited to swollen gums, tender gums, gums that bleed easily, experiencing pain when chewing, having one or more loose teeth and having bad breath.

Periodontal disease risk factors

While poor oral health habits are the main reason why someone would be diagnosed with periodontal disease additional risk factors that could increase their chances of being diagnosed include being overweight, smoking, taking drugs, improper food nutrition, being older, taking certain medications, hormonal issues, genetics and already being diagnosed with another condition, i.e. HIV, AIDS, leukemia, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis.