Gum
Disease
Dental Disease During Pregnancy
Many mothers have experienced gum disease, dental pain and/or
tooth extraction during or shortly after their pregnancy. This
is often seen as being a "normal" side effect of being
pregnant. However, dental disease, which is an infection of the
teeth and/or gums, is not "normal" for any patient.
There are three basic events that happen during pregnancy which
make the patient more susceptible to dental disease. First, hormonal
changes may make the gums more susceptible to gum disease.
Second, pregnant women tend to eat smaller, more frequent meals,
exposing their teeth and gums to sugars and acids more often.
Third, cravings for "junk foods" and inadequate oral
hygiene pose an increased threat to the teeth and gums.
Pregnant women should be advised to schedule a dental evaluation
and receive preventive dental care. Personalized oral hygiene
instruction should also be given to fight disease and promote
overall good health for the mother and her baby.
Gum Disease Infects Almost 80 Percent
of Adults
The American Dental Association says that over 75-80% of all
adults have or will have some form of gum disease
Gum disease, or more correctly called "periodontal disease",
is a bacterial infection in the gums and supporting structures
of the teeth. It can be divided into several categories.
The first stage is called "gingivitis" and is characterized
by gum tissue that is red, puffy, and bleeds easily when touched
with a toothbrush, floss or dental instrument.
The second, third, and fourth stages are initial, moderate, and
advanced "periodontal disease", respectively. These
stages are different from gingivitis because the infection has
destroyed the bone supporting the teeth, causing eventual tooth
loss. The treatment is more involved at these stages, usually
consisting of a special cleaning with anesthesia and sometimes
gum surgery.
Infections In Joint Replacements
Can Be Instigated By Severe Gum Disease
A thorough dental examination for presence of tooth and gum infection
is recommended prior to joint replacement.
Periodontal disease is a commonly occurring oral infection of
the adult population (80% of adults are affected) destroying the
bony support of the teeth. This infection slowly progresses over
the lifetime of the patient and is often manifested in the advanced
stage in the senior population.
Because of the lack of any discomfort to the patient until total
loss of bony support to the teeth, many adults are unaware that
they have this infection. However, the bacteria from this bone
destroying disease, especially in the more advanced cases, has
been attributed to possible infection of joint replacements.
Candidates for joint replacements who have not been seen by a
dentist in over a year should be considered for a thorough dental
evaluation of their teeth and gums before surgery.
Depending on the severity of the infection, treatment of gum
infections and tooth abscesses may take from two weeks to two
months before the patient reaches adequate health before surgery.
If you have any questions about infection in joint replacements,
please call our office.
Periodontal Gum Disease-Silent
and Deadly
Periodontal disease can go on for years without pain and without
detection unless specific examination procedures are performed.
Visual oral examination by itself (even by a dentist) will not
reliably detect periodontal disease until it has reached an advanced
stage.
Early detection and adequate diagnosis require measurement of
pockets (the crevice between the tooth and gum) with a periodontal
probe. Effective prevention and treatment is available, but the
damage caused as the disease progresses is irreversible.
Early detection and treatment is critical to prevent tooth loss
and disfigurement. Although the procedure is simple, painless
and requires only a few minutes, millions of American adults have
never had it done.
Signs of periodontal disease - bleeding gums, redness of gum
tissue, swelling of gums around the teeth, breath odor, receding
gums, mobility of teeth.
Some Dental Problems Are Easy To
See!
One of the easiest problems to spot is a build-up of plaque.
Plaque is the soft, sticky layer of bacteria, which is constantly
forming on the teeth. Usually it is invisible to the naked eye,
but when a person is not brushing adequately, it can build up
to where it appears to be a thick whitish coating on the teeth
at the gum line. If not removed, it can lead to gum disease.
Another potential problem, which is easy to spot, is missing
teeth. Many patients assume that if they are still able to eat,
they are OK.
But very often, losing just one tooth can lead to the loss of
support, and teeth begin to drift into the empty space, causing
a change in the bite. It also forces the remaining teeth to carry
an additional load, sometimes past their ability to adapt. In
most cases, when even one tooth is lost, the remaining teeth suffer
and are more likely to be lost as well.
Our focus is in the treatment of problems such as these. Call
our office for the care you need.
Gum and Bone Disease That
Goes Undetected
Prevention is an overused word in our vocabulary but we all know
it works. You see it in what you do every day. Who wouldn't rather
prevent a crisis than manage one?
Awareness of gum and underlying bone disease is very low. Only
50% of the population visits a dentist on a regular basis. Of
that 50%, 80% have some degree of gum and bone disease. It is
an epidemic. Were this any other disease, we would be calling
on the CDC for immediate action!
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