The gums are firm and pink. The bone is healthy and supports the teeth. |
Bacterial Plaque collects on the teeth at the gum line. Eventually the gums become red and inflamed. As the inflamation progress, the gums become red, puffy and bleed easily. |
If the Inflammation continues for a long period of time. the gums will eventually pull away from the teeth forming a deep pocket or gum crevice. These pockets become filled with bacterial plaque and hard deposits, and bone is lost. The infection at this stage, is usually painless although puss may be present. The Bone is damage and begins to deteriorate. |
The infection over time spreads and becomes more severe. This process results in bone loss, the teeth shift and start to become loose. |
Advanced gum disease is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in adults. Bone loss is severe and there are gum abscesses. The infection is severe and painful. |
| Infected gums with
bone loss is known as periodontistis and is a very common form of
gum disease.
Without proper home care including brushing and flossing, bacterial plaque accumulates on the teeth. Over time this will eventaully result in inflamation and damage to the gum tissues and bone. In it's advanced stages the gums pull away from the teeth bone is lost, a person will experience pain and the teeth become loose. Periodontitis is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. Antibiotics will only temporarily relieve symptoms unless the causes of the pockets and bone loss are eliminated and corrective surgery restores normal health gums further down the tooth. In recent years, conservative, non-surgical, therapy has been recognized as an effective way to control infection and to allow for natural healing. These conservative procedures include "scaling" and "root planing" with special instruments. This is usually done as a section or a side and is accomplished with local anesthesia. If damage is severe and infection is not controlled by conservative treatment, surgery may be required. The damaged support structure, the gum and bone, is reshaped around the tooth. This results int the elimination of pockets. Patient cooperation with daily home care is essential to maintain healthy gums and to keep periodontitis from returning. |