Take care of your gums!
Do you know that in adults, gum disease is the most common dental problem?
To avoid any worries, take care of your gums with good dental hygiene and regular check-ups with your dentist.
At the Charles Trottier Dental Clinic, we offer examinations (complete evaluation of the condition of your gums) and treatments to prevent and cure gum disease.
Gum disease
Gums form the soft tissue on the jawbone. Together with the jawbone, they help keep the teeth in place. It is at the attachment point of the teeth to the gums that gum disease will occur.
Very often people are unaware that they have gum disease because it develops slowly and painlessly.
These infections are due to the action of bacteria contained in dental plaque, a sticky and colorless film, which is constantly deposited on the teeth. If plaque is not removed regularly by brushing and flossing, it builds up, develops into tartar and causes inflammation of the gums. Over time, this gum disease, if left untreated, can progress and infect the bone that supports the teeth, causing them to loosen.
So there are several stages of gum disease:
- Gingivitis
This is the first stage of the disease. The bacteria contained in the dental plaque will irritate the gum tissue and create infection as well as inflammation at the junction of the teeth and the gums. This results in bleeding during brushing and flossing.Gingivitis is a common and reversible disease. It can easily be cured by brushing and flossing twice a day. - Periodontitis
If gingivitis is not treated, it will get worse by forming pockets of infection between the tooth and the gum which will reach the bone. This is called periodontitis. The tissues and bone that support the tooth will be gradually destroyed by the infection, which will cause it to loosen.This results in bad breath , bleeding or swelling of the gums.Periodontitis can be cured with proper treatment and twice daily brushing and flossing.
However, if left untreated, the infection will get worse and lead to the alteration of the bone support of the teeth, which causes their mobility and loss. This is called advanced periodontitis. At this stage, there is loss of bone, loose and falling teeth.
To prevent gum disease, see your dentist for early detection and proper treatment.