You must have heard your dentist say that if you don’t follow a proper oral hygiene routine or if you binge eat on sugary and acidic foods, you will develop dental cavities and periodontal disease. Do you know what the term “periodontal disease” mean? In the simplest form, periodontal disease is nothing but gum disease. But what actually happens in this disease? Let us look at it.

What is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal or gum disease is the situation where your soft tissues of gums are inflamed and infected, and the bone that holds your teeth in place are affected and partially destroyed. In the more extreme cases, you may end up losing this bone and also the tooth grip. Some issues associated with gum diseases include:

  • Swollen or puffy gums
  • Bright red, dusky red, or purplish gums
  • Tender and spongy gums
  • Bleeding gums
  • Receding gums
  • New spaces developing between your teeth
  • Pus between your teeth and gums
  • Bad breath
  • Loose teeth
  • Painful chewing
  • Bite issues or teeth misalignment
  • Shaky teeth, in some cases.

What Causes Periodontal Disease?

  1. Poor oral hygiene
  2. Consuming excess sugar-and acid-laden foods
  3. Tobacco consumption in any form
  4. High alcohol consumption
  5. Heavily misaligned teeth
  6. Hormonal changes in puberty, pregnancy, and menopause
  7. Uncontrolled diabetes and cancer
  8. Some systemic diseases and infections such as thyroid disorders, nutrient deficiencies and HIV infection
  9. Some birth control pills
  10. Poor salivation
  11. Stress

What are the Stages of Periodontal Disease?

There are three stages of gum diseases. There are as follows.

Gingivitis

The mild form or the first stage of gum disease is known as gingivitis. This issue starts when the sticky layer of plaque hardens into tartar and reaches the gum line. Tartar is nothing but a tough layer of disease-causing bacteria. This film of bacteria deposited along the gum line and at the base of your teeth affects your healthy gums and results in swollen, tender, red gums. You may feel consistent soreness in your gums during this stage. In some cases, gums even start to bleed due to bacterial attack. Those at increased risk include individuals with poor dental hygiene, smokers, uncontrolled diabetics, older adults, pregnant women, people with hormonal fluctuations, those with decreased immunity, those with poor nutrition, substance abusers and those who don’t visit their dentists for regular check-ups and cleaning sessions. As this is the mildest form of periodontal disease, gingivitis is reversible with professional treatment by your dentist and good oral home care.

Periodontitis

When gingivitis isn’t dealt with in time, the issues may become severe and you may suffer from periodontitis. Periodontitis is the next stage in the course of gum diseases. With time, plaque and tartar can grow and spread below the gum line. When bacteria reach this level along your gums and teeth, they cause irritation there. Increased irritation and inflammation results in pain and soreness. Bacteria in tartar can cause the tissues and bone that support the teeth to break down. As the disease progresses, the pockets deepen, and more gum tissue and bone are destroyed. Often, this destructive process has very mild symptoms. People mentioned above are at a higher risk of getting periodontitis also.

There are several types of periodontitis, including:

  • Chronic Periodontitis – The most common type of periodontitis. Although it majorly affects adults, children can be affected, too. You may experience inflammation of the supporting gingival tissues of the teeth and bone loss.
  • Aggressive Periodontitis – This type usually begins in childhood or early adulthood and affects only a small number of people. It tends to affect families and causes rapid progression of bone and tooth loss if untreated. Gingival tissue, gingival ligaments (which hold your teeth in place), and bone destruction progress at an advanced pace.
  • Systemic Periodontitis – It is the development of gum disease due to systemic diseases or conditions. These systemic conditions can include diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory disease.
  • Necrotizing Periodontitis –  This condition is characterised by necrosis – the death of gum tissue, tooth ligaments, and supporting bone caused by lack of blood supply, resulting in severe infection. This type generally occurs in people with a suppressed immune system such as from HIV infection, cancer treatment, malnutrition, and immunosuppression.

Advanced Periodontitis

Periodontitis, when left untreated, can lead to serious consequences and a condition called advanced periodontitis. This issue occurs when the bacteria has spread deep between the teeth into the far reaches of the gums. In this final stage of gum disease, the fibres and bone supporting your teeth are destroyed, which can cause your teeth to shift or loosen. This can affect your bite and, if aggressive treatment can’t save them, teeth may need to be removed. The final consequence of this issue is that your teeth can become loose and may have to be removed. This is often the most painful and uncomfortable stage of gum disease. Some people also complain about losing the ability to taste foods as they experience persistent bad taste in their mouth along with pain while eating.

If you are on the gingivitis stage, the condition can be reversed with regular dental cleanings by your dentist and following a good oral hygiene routine. But if you are on the advanced stages, your dentist will suggest non-surgical solutions such as scaling and root planing. If the condition is beyond the scope of these methods, the dentist will suggest surgical methods like soft tissue grafting, bone grafting, flap surgery, guided tissue generation, etc. Talk to your dentist today if you are suffering from gum disease or are experiencing one of the symptoms mentioned above.

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