At Crestwood Dental, we strive to empower our patients with knowledge about their oral health and the importance of maintaining a healthy smile. A common issue that we encounter is gum disease. This is a prevalent condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It is an inflammatory condition primarily affecting the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth. It is important to know that healthy gums are the support system for healthy teeth.
Our goal is to give our patients the information and tools to prevent gum disease in the first place. However, we also have restorative dental treatment options to stop gum disease in its tracks. Dr. Gorsky will thoroughly evaluate the condition of your gums during routine visits to look for the developing signs of gum disease. Prompt treatment can help patients avoid advanced diseases that can affect many aspects of their oral health.
Gum Disease Stages
If you have healthy gums, they should be firm and pink. The following are the different stages of gum disease and what you can expect to see if you have them.
Gingivitis
This is the first stage of gum disease, and the only one that is reversible. A large proportion of the adult population in America has gingivitis, and they don’t realize it. None of the early warning signs is painful, and they can sometimes be hard to notice. Typically, the primary warning sign is bleeding gums. Check whether your gums bleed regularly, especially after brushing and flossing. You can also see if your gums look puffy or red in certain areas.
Diligent oral healthcare is the treatment at this stage. To keep the condition under control, we’ll have you come into the office more often for dental cleanings. We may also recommend brushing and flossing your teeth more often at home or investing in a water flosser. Sometimes we prescribe a microbial rinse to help fight disease-causing bacteria in your mouth.
Mild Periodontal Disease
When we reach this stage, the condition is no longer reversible. The bacteria become more aggressive and start attacking bones. We manage the condition with techniques called scaling and root planing. With gum disease, pockets form between your gum tissue and bone, filling with bacteria and debris. We clean these out so that they’re free of debris. Then, we smooth down the tooth roots so the gum tissue can reattach to the bone.
Moderate Periodontal Disease
In this stage, the bacteria continue to become more aggressive. In addition to attacking bone, they also get into the bloodstream. This can spread inflammation and infection throughout your body, causing problems in other areas. Like mild gum disease, we use scaling and root planing for this stage.
Severe Periodontal Disease
At this stage, your mouth is full of disease-causing bacteria. Your gums ooze pus and blood, you have severe bad breath that you can’t get rid of, and it hurts to bite, chew, and even speak. Since your teeth are losing their foundation, they loosen and can fall out. We must refer you to a trusted periodontist for further treatment. Only laser gum treatment or gum surgery can manage the condition at this stage.
Gum Disease Treatment in Tuckahoe, NY
Untreated gum disease can have far-reaching consequences. As a result, it is crucial to seek treatment as soon as possible. Otherwise, you can experience worsening oral health and systemic health issues.
Deep Dental Cleaning
For the early stages of gum disease, we can perform a professional dental cleaning. This will remove plaque and tartar buildup on the teeth and the gum line. This preventive measure helps prevent gingivitis and can also help manage mild cases of gum disease.
Scaling and Root Planing
Scaling and root planing is a type of deep cleaning to treat gum disease. During this process, Dr. Gorsky will remove plaque and tartar from the surfaces of the teeth, both above and below the gum line. This is crucial because plaque and tartar harbor harmful bacteria that can contribute to gum inflammation and infection.
Gum Grafting
We may recommend gum grafting to repair areas of gum recession and restore gum tissue lost due to gum disease. During this procedure, tissue from another area of the mouth or donor tissue covers exposed tooth roots and enhances the appearance and health of the gums.
The Consequences of Untreated Gum Disease
Gum disease, also called the “silent disease,” is progressive in nature and can develop into an advanced disease when left untreated. Not only does it have impacts on your oral health, but gum disease can also cause problems in other parts of the body.
Periodontal disease has a strong correlation with cardiovascular problems. It causes chronic inflammation, narrowing blood vessels so blood can’t flow as efficiently. It also increases the likelihood that plaque will form in blood vessels. Plaque formation makes you more likely to have a heart attack or stroke.
Gum disease also makes things worse for people living with diabetes. Inflammation makes it harder to regulate blood sugar levels. Elevated blood sugar, in turn, feeds the bacteria responsible for gum disease, creating a cycle that harms both oral and systemic health. People with uncontrolled diabetes often experience faster progression of gum disease, and untreated gum problems can make their diabetes harder to manage.
Another area of concern is respiratory health. When gum disease progresses, bacteria from the mouth can be inhaled into the lungs. This can contribute to respiratory infections, pneumonia, and flare-ups in individuals with chronic conditions like COPD. This is especially dangerous for older people or those with chronic illnesses.
Pregnant people have impacts as well. Inflammation in the gums has been linked to complications such as preterm birth and low birth weight. The inflammatory response triggered by gum disease may influence the body in ways that affect pregnancy outcomes.
Chronic inflammation from gum disease may also affect cognitive health. Some studies suggest a potential link between long-term gum infection and an increased risk of cognitive decline or Alzheimer’s disease. While research is ongoing, experts believe bacteria from the mouth may reach the brain and contribute to inflammation there.
We serve residents from Tuckahoe, Yonkers, Eastchester, New Rochelle, and throughout Westchester County. Trust Crestwood Dental for your dental needs.