The Long Term Implications Of Gum Disease

12 / 06 / 2019

The Long Term Implications Of Gum Disease

Ipswich Dentist, Dr Tocca, Explains Why Diligent Gum Care Is Essential.

You will probably have seen various adverts on TV extolling the virtues of toothpastes that claim to prevent gum disease.

In many of these, the patient brushes their teeth and spits into the sink and notices there is blood amongst it. This is one of the more obvious symptoms of gum disease, but unfortunately, a little blood isn’t the only consequence of periodontal problems.

At The Lighthouse Dental Practice, we have a duty to make sure that our patients are aware of the reasons why they should keep their gums clean. In this blog, we look at what the effects might be if you don’t look after them properly.

Unpleasant Symptoms

Before we look at the effects of gingivitis and periodontitis (stages of gum disease), let us take a look at some of the possible symptoms you might exhibit if affected by this problem. In themselves, they can be quite uncomfortable, or, in the case of halitosis, socially unacceptable.

The most common symptoms are, as mentioned earlier, spitting blood following brushing. You may also find that your gums are sore, red or inflamed. Other possible symptoms include receding gums, persistent bad breath and potentially, teeth that are loose.

It should be noted that just because you don’t have any of these symptoms doesn’t mean that you are necessarily free of gum disease. You should always have your oral health monitored on a regular basis, no matter how trouble-free you think your teeth are.

Dental Consequences

You may have noticed in the list of symptoms that we mentioned loose teeth. Whilst the other symptoms are unpleasant, in most cases, they can often be rectified through better general care and a programme of thorough cleaning by the dental hygienist at our Ipswich practice. When teeth are loose though, this is a sign that periodontal disease has reached the bone surrounding the tooth. When this happens, the bone degrades and becomes less capable of holding the tooth in place. Over time, without treatment, this will worsen and eventually you are likely to lose teeth that are affected in this way.

Prevention is always key in situations like this. In the case of gum disease that has reached this stage, you will likely need to have a ‘deep clean’, down to the roots of the teeth. This may prevent tooth loss from occurring, but its success will depend on each case and you may well lose the tooth.

Should this happen, we can discuss tooth-replacement methods such as the placing of a dental implant. Even with such an excellent teeth replacement system though, it is far better to retain your natural teeth for as long as possible.

Other Health Issues

Until relatively recently, it was presumed that gum disease only affected the oral cavity. There is now growing and acknowledged evidence that many serious health issues can be caused or contributed to by the bacteria associated with gum disease. Although research is continuing into this, the evidence so far would suggest that this will be confirmed at some point in the future. From the patient’s perspective, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Some of the illnesses that have been associated with gum disease are:

• Heart disease and strokes
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Various cancers
• Diabetes
• Respiratory diseases

As you can see, even one of these would almost certainly have a negative impact on the quality of your life, and a number of them would do so even more.

What You Can Do

The first thing that needs to happen to prevent gum disease is for people to take the problem seriously. Most of us brush our teeth regularly and we need to apply the same dedication to flossing between our teeth too. The use of dental floss helps to remove both food particles and bacteria that become trapped between the teeth. If you don’t do this, it is unlikely that your toothbrush bristles will achieve the same goal and gum disease is likely to follow.

You should also make an appointment to see the dental hygienist at the Lighthouse Dental Practice. This is an excellent way to start to understand more about your gums and how to look after them. They will discuss things like lifestyle choices that might be impacting this aspect of your oral care. For example, if you smoke or have diabetes, you are already at a greater risk.

You will also receive a scale and polish which removes the hardened bacteria and deposits that have built up on the teeth and gum line in the form of tartar. This can’t be removed with home brushing, but can be removed effectively with a scale and polish. You will also be shown how to use dental floss correctly, something some patients find a little difficult to do and may explain why only around one in five of us currently do use it.

We recommend that you arrange these dental hygiene appointments every six months or so, but for higher risk groups, such as diabetics, the hygienist may suggest more frequent cleanings.

Your gum health IS important and we are here to help you to keep them in good condition. To make an appointment to see the hygienist, or a dentist, please call our Ipswich dental clinic on 01473 257379.

Dr Codrin Tocca – GDC 71594

We offer Denplan.

We are here to help you.
If you would like to speak to a member of our friendly team about any of the issues in this article please visit our contact page or call us on 01473 257379.