Prevention of Periodontal Disease

Prevention of Periodontal Disease (PD) should be a major concern for all of us. In 75-80% of the adults, the concern really should be cleaning up the gums and getting control of the PD (since it can NOT be cured). For today, let’s focus more on prevention in the young people and in the 20-25% of adults not affected by PD.
Floss daily, preferably before you go to bed. Then, brush well with a good fluoride toothpaste for approximately two minutes. The flossing will loosen up food and plaque particles that the brush can then help remove. Rinse by swishing the water around. Spit out and repeat. Rinse and swish 2 or 3 times.
Go to the dentist regularly. For some, that means every six months. For others, the need may be more frequently. If you have dental insurance, great! But, it should not be the deciding factor on how often you visit the dental office. Your dentist and/or your hygienist may provide additional ideas on cleaning your mouth at home.
Eat a well balanced diet, which means you need to meet your nutritional needs while not providing any nutrients in excess. Eat items from the following groups: milk and milk products, meat and meat substitutes, fruits and vegetables, and the grains group. Don’t use tobacco products in any way, shape, or form.

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Periodontal Disease is a Silent Disease

Knowing all that we know about Periodontal Disease (PD), how is it that 75-80% of us are affected by it?
Periodontal Disease is a silent disease in that it does not hurt (until advanced stages) and can go undetected in its earliest stage. Too often, people don’t go to the dentist regularly and start to build up plaque between their teeth. If the person is not a flosser, the plaque starts to accumulate more and more between their teeth. The once healthy gums, pink and firm around each tooth, now start to become inflamed between the back teeth where the plaque is building up. With gingivitis now established, the bacteria residing in the plaque produce toxins that start to break down the attachment of the gums to the teeth. The body’s inflammatory response is to bring increased amounts of blood to those areas to fight off the toxins. The gums become puffy, tender and swollen, and can bleed easily with brushing and flossing (not likely any flossing is occurring in this person).
A cleaning at the dental office at this point could start to turn things around. Flossing and brushing would go a long way toward health. Of course, this person doesn’t have any pain, and is unaware of this situation.
Periodontitis sets in as the plaque by-products, the toxins, destroy the tissues that hold the teeth in the bone. The attachment of the gum to the root surfaces start to be destroyed and pockets develop between the gum and the teeth. The gums pull away from the teeth and recede. More plaque is now accumulating below the gum line in these pockets. Some of the plaque on the root surfaces is hardening into tartar. Like the barnacles forming on the piers at the ocean, the tartar is rough and more plaque sticks to the rough surfaces and become hardened. As the disease progresses, bone under the gums that anchors the teeth begins to dissolve away. The person may notice an unpleasant odor coming from their mouth – bad breath. The gums may bleed when brushing. At this point, with less bone anchoring the teeth and less gum tissue covering the roots, the teeth appear longer and are sensitive to cold and are more susceptible to decay.
In advanced periodontitis, the toxins deep in the pockets continue to destroy the periodontal ligaments and bone, causing the teeth to lose more support. Unless treated, the affected teeth become more mobile and may fall out.
The key, is to not let this all get started. Should you find yourself progressing down the path described above, work hard on brushing and flossing and get into the dental office for evaluation and necessary treatment. You do not have to lose teeth to periodontal disease!

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Periodontal Disease Symptoms

Periodontal Disease (PD) does not usually show up until people are in their 30s. Certainly the milder form, gingivitis, can occur even in teenagers who don’t do much brushing, or who have braces that trap and harbor the plaque and food particles.

Periodontal Disease is a silent disease – it doesn’t hurt until it is in an advanced stage. But there are ways to detect it. My favorite is to visit the dentist for check-up and periodontal evaluation. Ways that you may detect it at home are:

* Gums that are red and/or swollen and tender

* Gums that bleed when brushing or flossing

* Spaces opening up between your teeth – as if they were moving

* Loose teeth

* Breath that no longer feels fresh – you constantly want to rinse with a mouthwash

* Gums that have pulled away from the teeth

* Pus between the gums and teeth

* Your bite no longer feels solid – you feel as though your bite has changed

Any or all of these indicate some level of gum inflammation/infection. Don’t delay in calling for a dental evaluation, because it won’t get better on its own.

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