Want to Avoid the Need for New Teeth? New Jersey Specialists Explain the Perils of Periodontal Disease, PART 3

This three-part article series explains what gum disease is and the various signs and symptoms it comes hand-in-hand with. We also explore patients’ various treatment options.

Welcome to the final installment of this three-part article series on periodontal (gum) disease, its signs and symptoms and recommended treatments. So far, the specialists who place new teeth for New Jersey residents have explained that:

1. Gum disease is an advanced bacteria infection of the gums and supporting structures of the teeth. 

2. It’s typically caused by a lack of preventative healthcare, poor oral hygiene and habits, such as tobacco-use.

3. As much as 80% of the American population suffers with some form or stage of gum disease.

4. There are many signs and symptoms, including swollen, inflamed gums, gums that bleed easily, oral sores or lesions, discolored teeth, teeth that feel loose and uncomfortable, persistent bad breath and eventually, tooth loss.

Now let’s take a look at the various treatment options available...

Gum Disease Treatment

There are many approaches dentists can take to treating gum disease before they will consider giving New Jersey residents new teeth. Often a combination is used depending upon the extent of the disease and the damage it has already done. The first phase of treatment would be a thorough oral health assessment, followed by the recommendation of one or more of the following:

1. Root scaling and planing: Deep cleaning.

2. Pocket reduction therapy: Eliminating the deep pockets that have formed around the tooth roots, effectively preventing bacteria from reinfecting the gums.

3. Anti-biotic medication: Applied topically during surgery and taken as a course of oral tablets.

4. Laser therapy: For the highly accurate elimination of diseased tissue.

5. A continued schedule of professional teeth cleanings, a much-improved home oral hygiene routine and possibly anti-bacterial mouthwash rinses.

The treatment schedule provided depends upon your specific case and may or may not involve surgery. To find out, it is imperative that you schedule an appointment with your dentist or a dental specialist, such as a periodontist.

“For those who are particularly nervous of treatment, don’t be,” urge All on 4® dental implant surgeons. “We go to every measure necessary to ensure that patients are kept comfortable and use a combination of local anesthetic and Intravenous (I.V.) sedation if recommended or desired. What’s important is that you are having your problem addressed and that you will be in much better oral and general health for having done it.”

Mitigation for Existing Damage: Tooth Loss

Thankfully, if you have lost one or more of your teeth to gum disease, there is a suite of teeth replacement techniques available to help give you your smile back. Dental implants are typically the most highly recommended of these options because of their durability and better function and aesthetics.

Having said this, while you can get new teeth implants or even All on 4 dental implants – if you are losing or have already lost all of your teeth, Rutherford residents should know that prevention is always better than cure. No matter how advanced the field of dental implantology has become, nothing can really beat your own biological technology: natural healthy teeth. This is why patients are urged to come for treatment before gum disease has had the opportunity to completely wreck their natural dentition.

Want to Avoid the Need for New Teeth Implants? Rutherford Specialists Explain the Perils of Periodontal Disease, PART 2

This three-part article series explains what gum disease is and the various signs and symptoms it comes hand-in-hand with. We also explore patients’ various treatment options.

Welcome to Part 2 of this three-part article series on periodontal (gum) disease, it’s signs and symptoms and recommended treatments. In Part 1, we spoke to a dentist in New Jersey who explained that gum disease is an advanced bacteria infection of the gums and supporting structures of the teeth. It’s typically caused by poor oral hygiene, a lack of preventative healthcare and certain habits, such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. In this article, we shall now examine the signs and symptoms Rutherford residents should be on the lookout for before discussing the various treatment options available.

Signs and Symptoms of Periodontal Disease

In the beginning stages, gum disease is known as gingivitis and can present with one or more of the following symptoms:

1. Red and inflamed gums,

2. Swollen, sensitive gums,

3. Gums that bleed easily when brushing and flossing,

4. Bad breath (halitosis): This can be difficult to diagnose, so it’s recommended that you ask a close friend or relative to tell you whether they’ve noticed your breath being persistently bad.

5. Discoloration of the teeth caused by the accumulation of plaque and tartar. The margins between the teeth can appear blurred.

In its advanced stages, gum disease is known as periodontitis and can present with one or more of the following symptoms:

1. Those listed above,

2. A persistent bad taste in the mouth that doesn't go away or comes back soon after brushing,

3. Brown mottling of the teeth and at the gum margins,

4. Recurring oral lesions or sores,

5. Loose teeth that are uncomfortable to eat with,

6. An exposure of the tooth roots as the gums recede from the crowns of the teeth,

7. Suppurating (pussy) gums and extremely painful oral abscesses,

8. Eventual tooth loss.

Doesn't sound very pleasant, does it? And yet, millions of Americans live with this condition every day and haven’t sought treatment. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as much as 80% of Americans are currently living with some stage of gum disease; be it gingivitis or periodontitis. So...

Why Do People Allow Gum Disease to Progress?

“One of the biggest problems with gum disease is that it doesn’t typically cause much pain,” explain the dentists who place new teeth implants in Rutherford patients. “And since pain is what most frequently compels people to seek treatment, in its absence we find patients living with this condition for years without coming in for the necessary dental care. There is also a fear of what treatment might entail, but in all honesty living with gum disease and losing teeth is far more painful – to one’s self esteem and quality of life – than any treatment could ever be.”

“Gum disease is also linked with a host of other terrible and very dangerous health conditions, such as heart, respiratory, liver and kidney disease, as well as osteoporosis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The risks of living with gum disease are simply not worth it. You cannot justify avoiding treatment with “saving money” because the real cost could be your life.”

Stay Tuned for Part 3

To find out more about the various treatment options available for gum disease, stay tuned for the final installment of this three-part article series.

Want to Avoid the Need for Dental Implants? New Jersey Specialists Explain the Perils of Periodontal Disease, PART 1

This three-part article series explains what gum disease is and the various signs and symptoms it comes hand-in-hand with. We also explore patients’ various treatment options.

Periodontal disease – peri meaning “around” and dontal “the tooth” – is a pervasive oral disease that affects a staggering percentage of the American population. As much as 80% of New Jersey residents have some form or stage of this disease and it explains, in the majority of cases, just why the rate of tooth loss is so high in this country. Avoiding tooth loss and the need for dental implants, therefore, comes down to three important things:

1. Good oral hygiene and preventative care,

2. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of gum disease,

3. Seeking prompt treatment.

In this three-part article series, the New Jersey dental implants professionals will be helping us with point # 2 by explaining how periodontal disease frequently presents and what can be done to halt the progression of this very destructive condition.

What is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal or gum disease is an advanced bacterial infection of the gums and the supporting structures of the teeth. It is caused by a lack of proper at-home and professional oral hygiene and comes hand-in-hand with risk factors such as: 

1. Tobacco-use

2. Certain diseases (diabetes), 

3. Periods of hormonal fluctuations (menopause and pregnancy),

4. Excessive alcohol intake,

5. A diet high in sugar,

6. Certain chronic medications.

Even your genetic heritage and gender can leave you at a greater risk of developing periodontal disease, especially without adequate preventative dental healthcare. While there are dental implant procedures designed to give patients who have lost most or all of their teeth (or who have been diagnosed with a “terminal” or “failing dentition”) new teeth in one day, prevention is always better and cheaper than cure. 

How Does Periodontal Disease Progress?

Gum disease begins as a well-known condition called “gingivitis,” which is characterized by an inflammation of the gums. 

“Plaque, a sticky white substance consisting of bacteria, forms in the oral cavity throughout the day and this is essentially unavoidable,” say dental implant surgeons in New Jersey. “Without frequent and thorough brushing and flossing and without regular visits to the oral hygienist for a professional clean, plaque hardens to form tartar. Your gums don’t like this and they respond by becoming inflamed and swollen. At this stage, the disease is typically diagnosed as gingivitis.”

“Over time, without professional intervention and good home oral hygiene efforts, gingivitis is allowed to progress. Oral bacteria produce acidic by-products that erode away at the dental enamel forming cavities, which allow for further decay. This acid also destroys the ligaments attaching the gums to the teeth, which enables bacteria to migrate into the natural pockets surrounding the teeth, essentially deepening them. Eventually, deep pockets of bacteria collect around the tooth roots and it is at this stage that a person will likely be diagnosed with gum disease. 

“It is also at this stage that the disease is unlikely to be halted without professional help. Tooth loss is a typical consequence of untreated gum disease and while we can give those who have been determined candidates new teeth in one day, we won’t proceed with dental implant treatment until health has been restored to the oral cavity,” explain dental implant professionals in New Jersey.

Stay Tuned for Part 2

To find out more about the signs and symptoms of gum disease and the treatments for this condition, stay tuned for the second installment of this three-part article series.