Understanding Gum Disease

Going to the dentist is not only about achieving a great smile, but also achieving good oral health. We achieve good oral health by making sure our teeth AND our gums are healthy. We all know that cavities are bad for your teeth, but did you know we can also have unhealthy gums? Gum disease is just as concerning as cavities. According to the CDC nearly half (42%) of all adults aged 30 years and older have periodontitis (one form of gum disease). It is also the leading cause of tooth loss.

To track your gum health, dental professionals take into consideration the overall appearance of your gums and bone level in x rays. However, they also take gum measurements. They measure recession, how much your roots are exposed due to gum shrinkage, and the depth of your gum pockets. These are spaces located between your tooth and gum. 1-3mm indicates gum health, 4mm indicates gum inflammation, and 5+ indicates bone loss. However, the severity of inflammation can cause a higher reading but with no apparent bone loss present. In this case we have to work quickly to prevent the gingivitis present to develop into periodontitis.

What is gum disease?

Gum (periodontal) disease is a broad term for conditions such as gingivitis and periodontitis. These conditions involve infection and inflammation of the tissues (e.g., gum and bone) around the teeth.

What are the two types of gum disease?

Gingivitis: This is the initial stage of gum disease. Inflamed, red, and bleeding gums can be seen in this initial stage. Gingivitis can be reversible with good oral hygiene.

Periodontitis: This is a non-reversible stage of gum disease that is characterized by bone loss around a tooth.

Periodontitis:

If gingivitis is left untreated, periodontitis can develop. Periodontitis is the most serious gum disease needing professional treatment. To treat periodontitis dental professionals have to perform an scaling and root planing (SRP) to the affected areas. The goal of this procedure is to remove the bacteria causing the infection and deep pockets. This procedure can help most patients achieve gum health, however, there are some patients that may need more specialized help. These types of patients that do not benefit from the SRP performed are referred to a periodontist (gum specialist).