Gum Diseases

Introduction to Gum Disease
Gum disease characterizes bacterial growth and the factors that slowly destroy the tissue surrounding and supporting the teeth. It is inflammation of gums due to formation of more harmful bacteria. The two main stages of gum disease are Gingivitis and Periodontitis. Periodontitis usually follows gingivitis but not all gingivitis progress to periodontitis. Gingivitis can be controlled in many of the cases when proper plaque control is practiced by daily brushing and flossing. When gingivitis is left untreated, it can progress to periodontitis which results in loosing and falling of teeth even at early age.

Stages of Gum Disease
Gum disease begins with plaque, which always keeps on forming on your teeth after your every meal. When it gets accumulated to unnecessary levels it becomes hard and forms a substance around tooth known as tartar or calculus. Tartar is so firm on teeth that it can be removed only during a professional cleaning. This formation of plaque and tartar can be categorized in following stages:-

1.Gingivitis: - The initial stage starts with Gingivitis. It is an irritation of the gums caused by bacteria present in plaque. In early on stage of gingivitis, the gums become red, swollen and bleed easily, repeatedly during tooth brushing. Bleeding even though is not a symptom always of gingivitis but it is a signal that your mouth is unhealthy and needs attention.

Normal bacteria in the mouth form a thin sticky, film of plaque continuously on tooth surfaces. You feel especially when you get up in the morning. If this plaque is not removed every day, it ultimately hardens into calculus or tartar.

Gingivitis is curable with treatment followed by proper brushing and flossing at home. Here the gums may be irritated, but the teeth are still firmly fixed in their sockets. No bone or other tissue damage occurs at this stage.

Most gingivitis is of the chronic type. It is generally painless and is easily detected by bleeding. Most gums are pink in color, although they are sometimes pigmented, especially in dark skinned people. While in gingivitis the gums look red, swollen and loose at the margin where the tooth emerges. There may even be some gentleness if the inflammation is severe.

Some people are unusually liable to have gingivitis like during the hormonal changes in the young people during puberty. There is formation of so called puberty gingivitis and even during pregnancy. Smoking makes people more prone to gum infection from plaque. Other risk factors may be stress, general disease, mainly poor-controlled diabetes.

Gingivitis can occur in acute form and the best known is Acute Necrotising Ulcerative Gingivitis (ANUG) once known as "Vincent's Infection". This condition is very painful, is recognized by ulcers at the gum edge, mostly in the peak of the gum between teeth. There is a strong, characteristic smell from the mouth. ANUG is caused because of poor oral hygiene, smoking, stress, poor eating habits, etc.

2.Periodontal: - "Periodontal" means "around the tooth." Periodontal disease is an infection of the tissues and bone that support the teeth. Untreated gum disease can become very serious, causing teeth to become loose or fall out.
At this stage, gums become weakened and form pockets around the base of teeth. As periodontitis progresses gradually, it damages deeper gum tissue and can ultimately spread to areas of the jawbone that support the teeth. This may lead teeth to become loose and fall out. Periodontal stage can be divided into two stages depending upon their seriousness:-

A.Modest Periodontitis: - it is a low grade infection of the gums. At this stage high quality and good branded tooth brush may also not help you in controlling the disease. This is so because the amount of tartar or calculus formed around the teeth is more. Bacteria in the calulus produce toxins and volatile sulphur compounds that destroy the bone and the gums around the teeth and also lead to formation of bad breath to your mouth. This damage further leads to the formation of periodontal pocket Bacteria pool in these pockets, causing further destruction of the gums.

A pocket is a space between the teeth and gums. This space in healthy gums is normally 2 to 3 mm deep. If at this stage too it is kept untreated then this space will painlessly increase beyond the normal depth to 5 mm. this is known as Modest Periodontitis Disease.

B.Extreme Periodontitis: - this is the extreme stage of periodontitis where the pockets are too deeper of say about 6 mm. in this stage it is recommended to consult a perodontist and further treatment may be surgery only.

In surgical treatment you may have to remove diseased tissue. The dentist will thoroughly clean the tooth structure which will make more difficult for plaque and calculus to build up. In case disease has caused damage to the bone, your dentist may reshape the area or perform a bone graft procedure.

If periodontitis is not treated it will slowly and painlessly destroy the bone which supports the teeth. Untreated, the disease will ultimately cause tooth loss.

Treatment

Treatment starts from home care that includes proper brushing and flossing. Brushing eliminates the plaque from the surfaces of the teeth wherever it can reach and flossing removes plaque from in between the teeth and the gum.

Eating and drinking habits should be also controlled. Not to eat too spicy or toxic food and drinks. Evade smoking and drinking alcoholic liquids. Also evade eating lot of sugary or acidic foods. More of eating soft food is always recommended.

Regular check up from your dentist and get regular cleaning of your teeth at least twice a year. If you are diagnosed with gingivitis then you may be recommended with regular cleaning at regular intervals.

If more of serious problems with gum disease then you may be treated with some surgery and therapies may be with antibiotic treatments.

Some of more treatment may include Flap surgery, Bone grafts, Medications, Bone surgery, Curettage, Guided tissue regeneration etc. Depending upon the seriousness of the disease these may be the treatments recommended.