What is Gum Disease?
Simply put, gum disease is an infection caused by bacteria in the gums. In its early stages, gum disease is known as gingivitis, which means “swollen gums.” In these early stages, gingivitis can be treated and reversed, and the gums and oral cavity can be restored to health. Once gingivitis is allowed to progress without care, however, it develops into periodontitis as bacteria infect the other periodontal tissues that surround the teeth and support them in the jaw. These periodontal tissues include the gums and also include connective ligaments; the rough, calcified cementum surface that protects a tooth’s root and attaches to the periodontal ligament; and the alveolar bone on the ridges of the upper and lower jaws. As periodontitis begins to invade these tissues, it leads to receding gums and loose teeth, gradually causing tooth loss and bone loss when left untreated. More recent medical evidence indicates that gum disease is also connected to serious medical problems like diabetes, heart disease, and even dementia.
Remember, though, that gum disease caught in its early stages is reversible. You can prevent the domino effect of destruction that gum disease can lead to with simple interventions like an effective oral hygiene routine, which must include routine trips to the dentist for checkups and cleanings. In its earliest stages, gum disease might appear with no symptoms or with barely noticeable symptoms, and could progress undetected as bacteria continue to proliferate at the gum line. Gum disease arises when bacteria, found in food, drink, and the air we breathe, colonize in our saliva and coat the teeth with a substance called plaque. When we brush our teeth properly, with a gentle-yet-thorough hand, a soft-bristled brush, and fluoride toothpaste, we brush away a lot of this plaque. Cleaning between the teeth and below the edge of the gums with dental floss or a water irrigator helps to remove plaque that’s gathered in these crevices, and a healthy home hygiene routine should include brushing at least twice daily and cleaning between daily.
When early gingivitis is asymptomatic, it’s most easily diagnosed at a routine dental checkup, which includes probing for swelling and gauging the depths of any areas where the gums have receded or formed pockets. Routine dental cleanings are also an integral part of preventing periodontitis, thanks to the existence of tartar, which is calcified plaque. Even the most diligent home hygiene can miss some small areas of plaque during routine cleaning, and this plaque, when allowed to remain on the teeth, calcifies, becoming tartar. Once tartar has formed, it can only be removed by a dental expert, scraped off during a thorough professional cleaning. Removing tartar helps the gums restore their protective placement around the teeth, shrinking the pockets where tartar once thrived.
A small amount of tartar is normal and can be easily removed. When tartar is allowed to accumulate, however, its rough surface attracts more and more sticky plaque, which layers onto old tartar, calcifying and forcing the gum tissue farther and farther away from the teeth. The ligaments that hold the teeth in place begin to detach, allowing the gums to recede even more and welcoming in even more bacteria. The teeth loosen; some fall out, and, where they’ve fallen out, the alveolar bone is absorbed into the body, making the face appear sunken and sickly. While advanced periodontitis can be treated by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the oral tissues, these tissues won’t grow back, and dental prosthetics are the only way to restore the dentition. Thankfully, early gum disease is easy to diagnose and treat, and gum disease is easy to prevent. A dental appointment today could spare you a future of expensive, inconvenient solutions to a problem that didn’t need to happen in the first place.