Sacramento Dentist Discusses the Dangers of Gum Disease

Gum disease is more common than we think, according to the American Academy of Periodontology half of American adults suffer from gum disease.

Sacramento dentist Dr. Arben Celaj tells us how the inflammation and infection associated with even the sometimes unnoticeable beginning stages of gum disease, known as gingivitis, have been linked to other health problems throughout the body. There is a lot of recent research in the area of gum disease with particular concentration on the connection between oral inflammation, infection, and other major overall health problems.
 

What is Gum Disease?

Gum disease is a chronic bacterial infection that from the gum line around the teeth to the deeper supporting structures that anchor your teeth in your mouth. Although gum disease often painless that doesn’t mean

it is not dangerous to your oral and overall health. Like high blood pressure, you may not realize you have gum disease until you have been examined by a Sacramento dentist or Registered Dental Hygienist.
 

Signs of Gum Disease:

Sometimes the beginning stages of gum disease infection can go unnoticed, this is why regular 6 month dental checkups at your Sacramento dentist are so important to not only maintaining optimal oral and overall health, but also to our pocketbooks. The cost of a checkup, even without dental insurance is far less than the cost of deep perio scaling, root canal, extraction, or worse.

Potential Periodontal Peril:

• Bad breath
• Loose and shifting teeth
• Red, swollen and/or bleeding gums
• Itching or soreness of gums
• Bleeding on probing, and depth pocket readings greater than 3mm

Healthy Gums:

• Pink, firm, attached gums, no pain, no bleeding
• Probing depths less than or equal to 3mm
• No odor on the floss after it has been passed through the teeth

Risk Factors For Gum Disease: 

• Poor Oral Hygiene – Plaque that remains on the teeth can lead to gum infections and offer bacteria a door way through which to enter your blood stream and infect other parts of your body.
• Smoking & Tobacco – Smoking or using smokeless tobacco actually masks the signs of gum disease, this thereby increases the chance of developing advanced stages of gum disease without knowing it.
• Pregnancy – Hormonal changes make your gums more sensitive to bacteria, it advisable to see your dentist as part of complete prenatal care.
• Medications – Some drugs, such as birth control pills, antidepressants, heart, seizure, and cancer medications, can make your gums more sensitive to bacteria.
• Clenching & Grinding Your Teeth – Clenching and grinding your teeth puts extra force on the supporting tissues, this force may speed up the advancement of gum disease.
• Faulty, Aging Dental Work – Will increase nooks and crannies for bacteria to hang out and do damage.
• Illness, Stress And Poor Diet – Make it harder for your body to fight infection.
• Laser Gum therapy – Gum disease is likely the most common chronic infection in our body. Incorporating Laser Gum therapy into our oral hygiene can reduce the need for costly and uncomfortable gum surgery.

 
In the advanced stages, gum disease can lead to the loss of teeth. Gum disease provides an open portal for bacteria to enter your body, and it is even transmissible from person to person via saliva.

Although there is no cure for gum disease, and no ability to reverse the bone damage caused by gum disease once it is well established, if identified early enough, gum disease advancement may be arrested.

At the Sacramento dental office of Arben Celaj, D.D.S. we put together a state of the art system for gum and periodontal care specifically designed to identify the disease as early as possible and to provide appropriate treatment for each stage of involvement.
 

Gum Disease Treatment at Sacramento Family Dentist Arben Celaj, D.D.S.

If you’re concerned about gum disease or tooth decay, please call us at (916) 488-1933 to schedule an appointment. We offer comfortable affordable dental care for the entire family. We also invite you to complete our brief contact form if email is your preferred method of contact.
 
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