Given that periodontal disease can, in extreme cases, result in the loss of teeth, dentists agree that it is best to avoid it rather than to deal with the consequences. Periodontal disease is disease of the gums and it has a set of easy to understand causes and, as such, measures that we can all take to prevent it in the first place.
Gums are the tissue in the mouth which surrounds the bottom of teeth and covers up the jaw bone. In many ways, gums are durable structure but they can be inflamed by too much exposure to plaque. Unlike teeth, plaque will not form on the gums themselves, but if plaque is left on the gum line of teeth (the point where gum and tooth meets) then the gum will become inflamed.
This incipient stage of periodontal disease is known as gingivitis. Clearing up gingivitis is usually a simple affair whereby patients tighten up their oral hygiene routine so that plaque is being properly removed from the gum line. This might involve a more rigid schedule of brushing, replacing a tooth brush whose bristles have frayed and is this ineffective, or starting to floss. In some cases dentists will prescribe a course of antibiotics to clear up the inflammation.
If the inflammation spreads to the bones which hold teeth in place, this is called periodontitis and the teeth themselves come under very real threat because the bones are often unable to keep the teeth secure in the mouth. If you are worried about periodontal disease, your dentist in the City of Leeds can help you with tips, advice and diagnosis.
Tags: jaw bone, periodontal disease
