periodontal disease
Periodontal disease, most commonly known as gum disease, encompasses diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis. If left untreated, gum disease can lead to damage of the bone around the tooth, known as the alveolar bone. Proper nutrition and dental practices are important in preventing the onset of gum disease.
A variety of symptoms accompany periodontal disease. Unfortunately, many Americans may already have the disease and not even know it. Because early stages of the disease do not exhibit symptoms to your, it is important to maintain proper dental care before it is too late.
Most commonly, pain, tenderness, and swelling of the gum areas are telltale signs of periodontal disease. If you experience bleeding, pus, or constant bad breath, a dentist should be consulted immediately as they are signs of worsening conditions. Gum disease should be detected early to prevent having to undergo painful procedures that may be irreversible.
Periodontal disease may be contributed by a variety of factors. Improper bite, such as an underbite or an overbite may irritate gums and cause gums to be inflamed. Also, excessive grinding of the teeth can lead to wear and tear of the gums and teeth. Preventative measures, such as wearing a rubber mouthgard, and of course proper brushing and flossing, are essential to maintaining healthy gums and teeth.
Periodontal disease is an infection of the tissues that support your teeth. Your gum tissue is not attached to the teeth as high as it may seem. There is a very shallow v-shaped crevice called a sulcus between the tooth and gums. Periodontal diseases found by seattle dentist attack just below the gum line in the sulcus, where they cause the attachment of the tooth and its supporting tissues to break down. As the tissues are damaged, the sulcus develops into a pocket: generally, the more severe the disease, the greater the depth of the pocket.
Periodontal diseases are classified according to the severity of the disease. The two major stages are gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis is a milder and reversible form of periodontal disease that only affects the gums. Gingivitis may lead to more serious, destructive forms of periodontal disease called periodontitis.
Some factors increase the risk of developing periodontal disease:
Tobacco smoking or chewing
Systemic diseases such as diabetes
Some types of medication such as steroids, some types of anti-epilepsy drugs, cancer therapy drugs, some calcium channel blockers and oral contraceptives
Bridges that no longer fit properly
Crooked teeth
Fillings that have become defective
Pregnancy or use of oral contraceptives
Several warning signs that can signal a problem:
Gums that bleed easily
Red, swollen, tender gums
Gums that have pulled away from the teeth
Persistent bad breath or bad taste
Permanent teeth that are loose or separating
Any change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite
Any change in the fit of partial dentures
It is possible to have periodontal disease and have no warning signs. That is one reason why regular dental checkups and periodontal examinations are very important. Treatment methods depend upon the type of disease and how far the condition has progressed. Good oral hygiene at home is essential to help keep periodontal disease from becoming more serious or recurring. You don’t have to lose teeth to periodontal disease. Brush, clean between your teeth, eat a balanced diet, and schedule regular visits to your seattle dentist for a lifetime of healthy smiles. Periostat, a new drug for the war against gum disease
Periodontal or gum disease is an infection that causes bleeding gums, bad breath, loose teeth, and teeth that fall out. A bacterial film visible to your seattle dentist called plaque that continuously forms around the teeth and gums causes gum disease. An estimated 56 million Americans suffer from gum disease, the main reason people lose their teeth.
The leading treatments for gum disease are scaling and root planing (deep cleaning of the gums) and surgical gum treatment in more advanced cases. Antibiotics are sometimes used in conjunction with these other therapies, often with the goal of killing bacteria that is causing the gum disease. Recently, there is a new drug, which instead focuses on controlling our body’s reaction to these bacteria. The new drug is called Periostat.
To understand how Periostat works, we need to have some understanding of how bacteria in the mouth cause the loss of gum tissue and bone around the teeth. Oral bacteria cause a chronic infection in the mouth of people with gum disease. This infection causes the body to release chemical substances called cytokines, which in turn cause a cascade of reactions within the gum and surrounding tissue. One of the substances released is a family of enzymes known as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). One of the MMPs is collagenase, an enzyme that breaks down the gum and bone.
Periostat is a new application of a not so new drug, doxycycline. Doxycycline is a derivative of tetracycline. Periostat is a 20mg. capsule of doxycycline that should be taken twice a day over several months. Periostat helps to inhibit the body’s production of the destructive collagenase. Unlike higher doses of doxycycline or tetracycline that can be used to prevent the multiplication of some bacteria associated with gum disease, Periostat protects our body’s “over-reaction” to bacteria, and its lower dose has far fewer side effects.
Periostat is not intended to replace the need for excellent oral hygiene, or other traditional gum treatment. It is a drug that clinical research has shown will modestly improve gum disease when taken in conjunction with professional deep cleaning at your seattle dentist of the gums and a thorough oral hygiene regimen.
How to Prevent Baby Bottle Cavities
Your one-and-a-half year-old can’t tell you what’s wrong yet, but recently he has started crying during meals and pointing to his front teeth. He has trouble falling asleep, and wakes up crying, touching his teeth. At first you think he must be teething again, but then you remember that his upper front teeth have been there for more than half a year. With a little effort, you lift up your child’s lip and see, to your amazement, brown and black discoloration and small chips on the sides of his front teeth. You thought that taking your baby to the dentist was something you could wait to do until he was four or five. Now, out of desperation, you call your seattle dentist to set up an appointment.
This situation is more common than you might expect. The main culprit for this condition, called “baby bottle cavities”, is the habit of putting a baby to sleep with a bottle containing milk, juice, or other sweetened beverage. Most often, it is the upper teeth are involved in “baby bottle cavities” because the tongue usually protects the lower teeth during bottle-feeding. As a parent of a small child myself, I can certainly understand the temptation of giving your crying child the bottle to get him or her to go to sleep. The problem is that milk or other carbohydrate containing liquids stay on the teeth and allow bacteria that are normally present in the mouth to attack the teeth by forming “plaque acids”. These acids create holes in the teeth (cavities) and can lead to deeper infections of the tiny nerves within them. The susceptibility to cavities is also increased because the flow of protective saliva is greatly reduced during sleep (that is why it is so important to brush your teeth before bed). These infections can cause your child pain, and will require immediate treatment.
The most effective way to deal with this potential problem is by recalling Benjamin Franklin’s adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Prevention, in this case, involves not putting your child to bed with a bottle that contains milk or any other sweetened beverage. If your child must use a bottle, try using water or something unsweetened, otherwise use a pacifier to substitute for the bottle. You should also clean your baby’s teeth with a moist cloth (from 6-12 months) or a child-sized toothbrush with a tiny amount of toothpaste (from 1-4 years) before bed. seattle dentist Your dentist should evaluate teeth damaged from “baby bottle cavities” as soon as possible. In some cases, the cavities can be repaired with tooth-colored fillings or small child-sized crowns (caps). Teeth that are badly infected may have to be extracted. It is also a good idea to have your child evaluated by a seattle at the time of his or her first birthday.