Answering Common Periodontal Disease Questions

Health problems with your mouth can be a serious issue that need to be addressed at some point during your life. Unfortunately, there are numerous diseases and conditions that patients fail to notice because they are not aware of the signs and symptoms. If this is the case for you, it may be beneficial to learn about the following questions and answers about periodontal disease.

What Is The Cause Of Periodontal Disease?

One of the leading causes of people developing periodontal disease is plaque, tartar and other sources of bacteria getting under the gum line. When this occurs, the bacteria will start to infect the hard and soft tissue around the teeth, which can lead to erosion of the gums and jaw bone. This condition may start out as minor gum irritation, but it can gradually worsen.

What Are The Treatments For Periodontal Disease?

Luckily, there are a couple of different treatment options that your dentist can use to combat this problem. In instances where the periodontal disease is fairly mild, it may be possible to reverse the condition by thoroughly cleaning the teeth. Once the plaque and tartar have been removed from below the gum tissue, the body will be able to start healing itself.

Unfortunately, if you have made the mistake of allowing this problem to worsen, surgery may be the only viable option for correcting the damage. During this procedure, your dentist will remove the infected tissue from the mouth. For those that need to have large amounts of tissue removed, it may be possible to perform bone or gum grafts to restore the natural appearance of your smile.

What Happens If You Fail To Have This Condition Treated?

Sadly, there are some individuals that may greatly underestimate the consequences that can arise from failing to have this condition treated. In particular, the infection will continue to spread throughout the mouth. Eventually, this will result in the teeth starting to loosen and shift positions before eventually falling out. You will want to have this condition treated as soon as possible to avoid these serious consequences.

Periodontal disease has the potential to ruin your smile if you fail to have it addressed. If you have a thorough understanding about the causes of this condition, the treatment options available and the consequences of failing to seek treatment, you will find yourself in a strong position to protect your beautiful smile against this serious condition.