Periodontal Disease

 

 

Periodontal disease—also referred to as gum disease—is an inflammatory disease that affects the tissues around a tooth or several teeth. Periodontal disease may originate as gingivitis—an infection of the tissues in the mouth—and later lead to gum disease.

 

Symptoms of Periodontal Disease

 

If you neglect to get treated, your gum disease may cause your bone to recede even further. Some people experience exposure of the root of their teeth which increases tooth sensitivity.

The most common symptoms of gum disease are:

 

1)      Bad breath

2)      Loose teeth

3)      Bleeding gums

4)      Sensitive or swollen gums

5)      Shifted teeth

 

Causes of Periodontal Disease

 

The most common causes of gum disease include:

 

1)      Bad habits—these include excessive grinding or biting of the teeth.

2)      Poor dental hygiene—if you don’t take proper care of your teeth (regular brushing and flossing, dental check-ups, efficient removal of plaque) then bacteria increases and may cause gingivitis.

3)      Alterations in your mouth—in some cases, you could experience hormone changes during pregnancy or puberty that change your metabolism, and in turn, affect the condition of your mouth.

4)      Medical State—if you have a certain medical condition that affects your body’s sugar production such as diabetes, then you could face an increased chance of experiencing gum disease.

 

Treatment

 

There are several treatment options for periodontal disease depending on your individual needs. Before any kind of treatment takes place, your dentist must first examine the damage in the specific area to be treated. Tartar must then be removed while you are under a local anesthetic.

 

For more severe cases, your dentist may decide to regenerate your tissues. This includes grafting of the bone in order to allow your bone to re-grow. Your dentist will administer a membrane to enable regeneration of the bone.

 

Laser therapy can also be used to treat gum disease by decreasing the pocket size between your teeth and gums.

 

The Cost of Periodontal Disease Treatments

 

The cost of gum disease treatment depends on who your dentist is, what level of education they have, what kind of training they’ve done, what kind of treatment you’re getting and how extensive the dental procedure will be—your dentist must consider the additional services included such as scaling.

Typically, you can expect to pay anywhere from $500 to $5,000 and in some cases, even up to $10,000.