Gum disease (Gingivitis vs Periodontal Disease)

by Jo Soh Dental Content Writer Gingivitis is inflammation around the gums caused by a chronic accumulation of plaque around the interface between the teeth and gums. Plaque is a mixture of bacteria, food debris and salivary molecules. Gingivitis is also called “gum disease”.

Gingivitis manifests as redness around the gums and mostly painless inflammation. The only sign that something is wrong is usually bleeding when brushing or flossing. A lot of patients don’t even get those symptoms so are blissfully unaware that they have any problem. Gingivitis DOES NOT result in the loss of bone support around teeth. This is an important fact to keep in mind for the later part of the discussion.

Sometimes, people develop bad breath as a result of gingivitis. If your friends, partner or loved ones are gently recoiling from your hugs or close contact with you, it may be as a result of the bad breath caused by gingivitis. A simple visit to the dentist may give you a better understanding of how bad or good your gum health is.

Gingivitis affects over 98% of the population at any given time. Gingivitis has a degree of affectation i.e. some areas of the mouth may have gingivitis and other areas may have no problems.

Gingivitis might seem like a minor problem but it can be quite a problem particularly when you come to having fillings done. Nowadays, most fillings are done as “white” fillings called composite. Composite is great and “sticks” to teeth. The problem though, is that composite requires a dry environment to adhere to the teeth properly. In an environment where the gums are bleeding, we as dentists have a lot of difficulty getting the fillings to stick to the teeth and stay there. Most good dentists will advise that you need to have your gums and teeth cleaned so they’re pink and healthy and unlikely to bleed during the restorative procedures.

Prevention of gingivitis is through brushing twice a day, flossing once a day and the use of antiseptic mouthrinses i.e. Listerine/Colgate Plax. Regular dentist/hygiene appointments every 6 months are also important as we need to access hard to reach areas i.e. between teeth and areas below the gum to clean all the plaque and to prevent gingivitis from getting worse.

When gingivitis becomes chronic in nature as is present for long enough, the real worry is that gingivitis will progress to periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is the development of the chronic inflammation into a persistent condition in which bone starts being eroded around the teeth roots. If enough bone is lost, the teeth may become loose, pain with the development of gum abscesses may occur with the eventual “falling out” of teeth.

Because there is no one easy to recognise symptom that tells you as the patient, that you’re developing periodontitis, it is important you attend for your regular dental appointments so we can assess your gums properly. We have measurement indices which determine whether your gums are healthy or whether they’re unhealthy. They can also indicate whether you have borderline periodontal disease so we can act to prevent you from developing further deteriorating gums and bone levels around your teeth.

Call us today to book a consultation to have your Gum Disease Treatment near me. Depending on how much time and how much gum disease is present, we may even be able to give you a clean on the day.

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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.

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