Periodontal Gum Disease
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. At Radiant Dental 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 and requires only a few minutes, millions of American adults have never had it done.
Some signs of periodontal disease are: bleeding gums, redness of gum tissue, swelling of gums around the teeth, breath odor, receding gums, mobility of teeth.
Pregnant Women & Gum Disease
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 we feel that 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 in the Bolingbrook area are advised to schedule a dental evaluation and receive preventive dental care at Radiant Dental. Personalized oral hygiene instruction will be given to fight disease and promote overall good health for the mother and her baby.
Stages of Gum Disease
The American Dental Association says that over 75-80% of all adults, even in the Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Naperville and Plainfield area, 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. At Radiant Dental the treatment is more involved at these stages, usually consisting of a special cleaning with anesthesia and sometimes gum surgery.
Undetected Bone & Gum Disease
We feel that 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?
In the Bolingbrook area 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!
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is the most common periodontal disease, affecting 90% of the population, including our local Bolingbrook area community. It is an infection of the gums caused by bacteria that form plaque.
In small amounts (when it is newly formed), plaque is invisible and relatively harmless. But when left to accumulate, it increases in volume and the proportion of harmful bacteria grows.
These bacteria release toxins that result in inflammation of the gum tissue. Eventually, the plaque hardens and forms hard deposits called calculus or tartar.
If not properly treated, gingivitis may progress to periodontitis, a periodontal disease in which there is loss of the bone that supports the teeth.
Joint Replacement Infections
We strongly recommend a thorough dental examination for presence of tooth and gum infection 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.
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 until they visit Radiant Dental. 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 consider 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.