Gum Disease/Periodontal Disease

Some form of gum and bone disease is present in most adult mouths.

Periodontal disease is unrecognized because the condition is generally painless and slow in progression. Symptoms include red, inflamed gums, which bleed easily with brushing and flossing, bad breath and teeth becoming loose as condition worsens.

The supporting structures of the teeth including the gums and bone are termed Periodontium.

Gum and bone breakdown begins at the gum line with gingivitis and progresses to the more severe periodontitis. When oral hygiene is neglected and poor over all health is encountered, gum disease begins.

Gingivitis is a mild inflammation of the gum tissue when food deposits, dental plaque or the more calcified calculus are allowed to remain on the teeth.

Periodontitis is when food deposits, plaque and calculus continue to remain on the teeth, over time the bone begins to degenerate. This condition is termed Periodontitis.

As bone surrounding the root degenerates, teeth loosen, drift, migrate eventually leading to the loss of tooth. Proper treatment can still save most teeth.

Gum Disease Treatment Alternatives:

The success of conservative gum disease treatments rests on significant coordination and cooperation between the patient and the dental professional. Periodontal health can be stabilized with conservative treatment alone but in some cases the more invasive conventional therapy is required.

Conventional Periodontal Therapy is usually surgical. It involves gently lifting away the gum tissue from the affected teeth, removing and root planing the calcified calculus, re contouring the irregularities on the root and bone surfaces and carefully placing back and securing the reflected tissue. After a healing period and maintenance of good oral hygiene, the periodontal condition can be improved or stabilized.

Prevention of gingival and periodontal disease only requires optimal oral hygiene practices, healthy diet and a restriction on tobacco and alcohol use.

Maintenance of periodontal health may require more frequent dental hygiene visits and adherence to individual hygiene recommendations made to you by the dental professional.

Oral Health is Important to Overall Health Maintenance. Let Smile Artistry, a trusted dentist in Chino, help you achieve your best smile yet!

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How Often Should Dental X rays be Taken?

Dental Radiographs are necessary to help diagnose problems not visible to the naked eye.

 Cavities in between teeth,  progression of decay, periodontal health and bone loss, tooth eruption patterns, orthodontic evaluation and development, bone anomalies and endodontic status are  some of the conditions requiring radiologic investigation for diagnosis.

Taking radiographs for  a new patient visit are required  for a thorough determination of present status and to help analyze changes that may occur later. A visual intra oral exam is fairly limited in value and is generally used for a quick overview of assessment.

The schedule for needing X rays (radiographs) at recare visits varies according to age, risk for disease, signs and symptoms.  Children need radiographs more frequently than adults.  This is because teeth and jaws are still developing and also because young teeth are more likely to be affected by tooth decay.

A review of the patient's health history and an examination of the mouth help in determining the type and  number of X rays.

Tune in next week for more information on Digital x rays------- or Visit www.mydentistchino.com for more dental topics.