Periodontal disease impacts half of all smiles ages 30 and older, and without treatment could lead to adult tooth loss. But we want to help you understand and avoid these dangers, so you can smile with confidence. In today’s blog, your Brooklyn, NY, periodontist and implant expert talks about the dangers of periodontal disease.
The Causes and Warning Signs of Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease forms when the gums become inflamed, which can lead to tissues pulling away from the teeth to form pockets for disease-causing bacteria to enter, which leads to the disease. The initial inflammation could be due to factors like poor brushing and flossing habits, a diet high in sugar and starch, and infrequent visits for cleanings with our team. The use of tobacco products could be a factor too. When your gums become inflamed, you could notice soreness, redness, and bleeding in the gums. As it progresses into periodontal disease, you could also encourage swelling or even recession, in which the tissues pull back and expose portions of the roots, so the teeth appear longer.
The Dangers for Your Oral Health
When your gums recede, this could expose portions of the roots not protected by tooth enamel. This could allow tooth decay and even infection to form. As the disease continues to progress, this could also lead to the periodontitis stage, in which the connective tissues between the teeth and gums are severed, which causes adult tooth loss. In fact, periodontitis is the number one cause of adult tooth loss. Missing teeth could lead to a weakened jawbone, additional tooth loss, and even an older appearance. But we can help safeguard the health, function, and beauty of your smile with periodontics.
Periodontics
If we catch the issue in the gingivitis stage, we could offer a deep cleaning, or scaling and root planing, to remove harmful buildup and reverse the inflammation. We could also discuss holistic treatments, such as Ozone therapy. For more advanced cases of the disease, we could use dental lasers, with systems like LANAP, REPAIR, and LAPIP to gently trim away the diseased portions and reshape the gum line, so the disease is then manageable with a preventive approach moving forward. We could also use unique treatments like Platelet Rich Plasma to help the area heal quicker following treatment, repairing underlying connective tissues in the process.
If you have any questions about how our team will diagnose and treat issues like gum disease, or if you need to make an appointment, contact our team.
Schedule Your Visit for Periodontal Treatment
We want to offer treatment to help you enjoy good oral health. To learn more about how our team helps protect smiles from disease, contact your Brooklyn, NY, periodontists today at (718) 444-3800.
