What Is Periodontitis?

Periodontitis in its early stages is not a painful dental disease, but if left untreated it can lead to serious consequences for your teeth and gums and other sobering health problems such as high sugar levels and even heart attack. The good news is that periodontitis is absolutely preventable, with good oral hygiene being the key.

Time Frame

• Plaque buildup on your teeth leads to periodontitis. Plaque is an invisible film that is sticky; it forms from the sugars and starches in the food you eat mixing with bacteria in your mouth. Brushing your teeth rids them of plaque for awhile, but it rapidly returns within a day. If it stays on your teeth for two or three days it can harden under your gumline into what is called tartar or calculus. This can irritate the area of your gums around the base of you teeth called the gingiva. This condition is known as gingivitis.

Effects

• Once you have gingivitis, you are at risk of pockets of tartar, plaque and bacteria forming between your gums and teeth. These pockets will get deeper as time passes, winding up under the gum tissue as an infection. Tissue and bone can be lost and teeth can become loosened and fall out. Tobacco use, either smoking or chewing, encourages periodontitis as it creates a favorable environment for bacteria to flourish. You can be predisposed genetically to the disease. Poor diet, diabetes, using prescription pain killers and hormonal changes can all contribute to periodontitis.

Identification

• There is little sign of periodontitis in its early stages. Until your gums begin to bleed from brushing your teeth you may not notice anything is wrong. Eventually symptoms such as bright red or purple gums and gums that are sensitive to the touch will appear. The gums will pull away from the teeth, making the tooth look longer than it should. Pus may get between the teeth and gums and you will have constant bad breath. You will have loose teeth and they may start to fit together differently when you bite down.

Potential

• Periodontitis can lead to more grim conditions if left unattended. The bacteria that are behind periodontitis can make their way to your heart and begin a cycle that can narrow your arteries, with stroke and heart attack a possibility. Pregnant women with the disease have shown to be prone to giving birth prematurely for as yet unknown reasons. If you are diabetic, periodontitis will make your blood sugar even harder to control since infections raise the levels.

Prevention/Solution

• Good dental hygiene can stop periodontitis before it gets going. Brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once a day. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles that can reach every tooth and replace it every three or four months. Use short back and forth strokes and then brush up and down and make sure to brush the inner surfaces of teeth. Floss to get food particles out from between teeth. See your dentist and schedule cleanings. Vitamin C as a supplement can help keep gums healthy, and make sure you get plenty of calcium in your diet.