The root of most dental problems is plaque. Plaque is a combination of food, bacteria and dead skin that lines the mouth. This combination forms an acidic, slimy film that readily adheres to the teeth. This plaque then hardens over time to form a barnacle like substance called calculus (tartar). This acidic film results in two destructive dental processes. The first process is dental decay, a destructive bacterial process that destroys tooth structure. The second process, periodontal disease, is a destructive inflammatory progressive disease that begins initially in the gums and progresses to the surrounding bone, resulting in irreversible bone loss. This inflammatory process can only be resolved by the removal of the plaque, corrective periodontal surgery and/or bone regenerative techniques. Regular hygiene maintenance appointments are key to maintaining periodontal health and minimizing additional problems, which may necessitate further periodontics treatment.

Symptoms of periodontal disease include inflamed gum tissues, bleeding gums, migration and movement of teeth, dental decay, dental abscesses, root canal, halitosis, metallic taste, irreversible bone loss and ultimately tooth loss.

Recently, periodontal disease and the bacteria associated with it has been linked to an increased likelihood of heart attacks in people with a history of heart disease, complications with pregnancy resulting in premature low birth weight infants, increased periodontal problems in the elderly who live in a community setting and increased infection complications with patients undergoing cancer therapy. With these consequences, the field of periodontics can help you maintain, not only the health of your teeth, but also your overall health.

As a multi-specialty dental office, our job, in addition to treating dental disease, is to educate our patients about gum disease and stress the importance of the complex interaction between the host (patient) and the pathogenic bacteria that resides in the mouth. It is important to resolve the problem early and make sure periodontal patients understand the importance of keeping their regularly scheduled hygiene maintenance appointments, determined by their specific needs. This is key to preventing and/or minimizing future problems of either a restorative or a periodontal nature.

Periodontal disease can be broken down into four categories:

Gingivitis : Is characterized by irritation of the surrounding gum tissue and swollen bleeding gum tissue. There is no bone loss associated with this process.

Mild Periodontal Disease : Gingivitis with radiographic evidence of bone loss, up to 10% of the total volume of bone.