What is Periodontal Disease?

Following poor oral hygiene will not only affect your teeth but the gums also. When gums get infections, they start bleeding, causing pain, difficulty eating, brushing, etc. Periodontal diseases are the infectious diseases of the gums which spread from the plaque accumulated at the roots of the teeth. There are the stages of the disease which get worse with each passing phase.

They are two categories of periodontal diseases. These two types are in their level and severity.

Gingivitis:

When the gum disease is at its earlier phase, it is called gingivitis. The plaque gets accumulated on the teeth and starts invading gums tissues. The teeth have the attachment to the gums at a significantly lower point which is called a sulcus. Plaque starts invading from here. It does not only affect the gums but the roots of the teeth are also damaged.

There are many reasons which cause gingivitis. It can be due to the overgrowth of the gums or plaque accumulation. Some medicines like calcium channel blockers, birth control pills and cyclosporine cause gingivitis or worsen it if it is present already. Medical conditions like hormonal changes, vitamin C deficiencies, and exposure to heavy metals are also risk factors for gingivitis. The complications that come with gingivitis include difficulty in eating and severe toothaches.

Periodontitis:

If you leave the gingivitis as it is and does not treat it on time, it can lead to a severe condition called periodontitis. It will not only affect the tooth with the infection but also the adjacent teeth. The risk factors of periodontitis are the same as gingivitis, but the exposure duration is longer, so the infection is also severe.

Periodontitis also has treatment, but only if you diagnose it in the early stages. There are four stages of this infection, and when the last stage reaches, you have an option other than losing your natural teeth. The inflammation and early periodontitis stages can save your teeth if you contact your dentist. Otherwise, ignoring the infection and leaving it as it is or treating it with home remedies will only get you to the worst point. The only treatment is by eliminating the infection from the roots. The most significant complication of periodontitis is teeth loss.

Treatment for periodontal diseases:

The treatment starts with professional cleanings of the infection followed up with good oral hygiene and regular checkups. Your dentist may recommend some antibiotics at the start to kill the germs permanently.

Conclusion:

Do not take a slight toothache or a little plaque for granted because of the speed with which the germs start spreading in unmatchable. Once it starts spreading, all your teeth will get affected. The only treatment is prevention. Following good oral hygiene is not enough because micro germs are not visible to the naked eye, and they only begin to appear once they start forming plaque. Therefore, it is better to go for regular checkups to diagnose the diseases at early stages.

Contact your dentist in Walnut Creek, Dr. Darvishzadeh at Walnut Creek Dental to know more about Periodontal Disease.

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Benefits Of Deep Cleaning

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