Advanced Gum Care: Protect Your Smile’s Foundation

By Author: Smiles Concepts
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Our dentists are experts in gum disease treatment in Sydney, with laser gum disease treatment we can save your teeth as long as we tackle the cause of the problems.

Gum disease affects most people at some time during their life.

It is usually caused by a build-up of plaque on our teeth.

Plaque is a collection of millions of bacteria that cause an infection around your teeth and gums.

The body fights this infection and destroys the gum tissue and ultimately the bone that supports your gums.

Once the bone is lost you will risk losing your teeth. That is why your oral health is so important! Regular brushing and flossing will decrease the chance of getting periodontal disease. In the meantime, make sure that you brush your teeth twice a day would help support the health of your oral conditions.

SO DO NOT LOSE YOUR TEETH!! Once your teeth are lost, you will face a lot more tooth loss treatments such as dental implants or even all-teeth-on-4.

What are the signs and symptoms of gum disease or periodontal disease?
One of the common signs of gum disease is bleeding gums.

Red ...
... swollen gums, toothache, pus extruding from gums, receding gums, bad breath, loose teeth, bad taste from mouth are all other signs of gum disease and gum infection.
Gum disease treatment with meticulous cleaning of teeth at least twice a day can help prevent gum disease. It’s worth noting that early gingivitis can be reversed with healthier hygiene practices, such as brushing your teeth regularly. However, if the disease has progressed you need to be seen by us to make sure we can help prevent further destruction.
How do you get swollen gums?
When bacteria produce the toxin that destroys gums, the body responds by sending our own body’s defence cells to attack the toxin.

This leads to collection of fluid under the gums leading to swollen gums.

What about sore gums?
When the fluid collects under the gums, after the attack from the bacteria and our defence cells, this leads to pressure building up in the tissues.

This process is called inflammation and it could lead to sore gums.

This is also when we would recommend seeing your dentist as soon as possible to give you medical advice on what you can do to get rid of sore and swollen gums.

Does Gum DiseaseEvolve?
healthy gum diagram
Gum disease evolves with time if warning signs are ignored and your oral health is not being taken care of.

Gum Disease – Gingivitis
Gingivitis is early gum disease, which occurs when dental plaque is allowed to build up on teeth, and becomes hard ‘calculus’. This happens when your oral health is not done correctly and there’s a lack of brushing and flossing regularly.

This is most common where the gum margin joins the tooth.

The characteristics of gingivitis are bleeding, redness and swelling of the gum, sensitive teeth and gums that bleed easily.

Gum Disease – Gingivitis
Periodontitis is advanced gum disease that occurs if gingivitis is not treated.

The gum margin that seals to the tooth is weakened, allowing bacteria and their products to cause more inflammation in the structures below the gum margin.

These structures include the covering of the tooth root (cementum), the bone, and the fibres that connect the cementum to the bone (periodontal ligament).

As the disease destroys these structures, spaces form between the tooth and the gum, as the bone is lost.

These spaces are called ‘periodontal pockets’.

Further signs of periodontitis include bleeding, swelling and receding gums together with bad breath, a bad taste in the mouth and loose teeth.

That’s why it is important to get gum disease treatment as soon as the signs arise and get professional cleaning every 6 month to prevent the gums and teeth getting from these diseases.

4 Stages of
Gum Disease
gum disease diagram4
Normal, Healthy Gingiva (Gums)
Healthy gums and bone anchor teeth firmly in place. Great Oral hygiene and oral condition.

gum disease diagram3
Gingivitis
Plaque and its byproducts start to irritate the gums, making them tender, inflamed, and likely to bleed. Gum becomes more sensitive to touch and brush.

gum disease diagram2
Periodontitis
Unremoved, plaque hardens into calculus (tartar).

As Plaque and calculus continue to build up, the gums begin to recede from the teeth, and pockets form from between the teeth and gums. This is a warning sign of advanced periodontitis.

gum disease diagram
Advanced Periodontitis
At this stage, the gums recede farther, destroying more bone and the periodontal ligament.

Even healthy teeth may become loose and need to be extracted due to poor oral hygiene and the developement of gum diseases.

Causes & Risk Factorsof Gum Disease
The main cause of periodontal disease is bacterial plaque, a sticky, colourless film that constantly forms on your teeth.
Meanwhile, the following risk factors may also affect the oral health of your gums and teeth.

1. Gum Disease due to Smoking/Tobacco Use
Smoking leads to closure of micro blood vessels that transport essential oxygen to tissues so the gum can heal and survive.

Therefore if these blood vessels are closed then there is no nutrients or oxygen reaching the tissues.

This causes the gum tissue to die and ultimately lead to loss of teeth.

2. Genetics
Research proves that up to 30% of the population may be genetically susceptible to gum disease.

3. Pregnancy and Puberty
Changes in hormones during pregnancy can lead to an increased response to bacteria leading to swelling and bleeding of gums due to hormonal changes. It is always recommended to practice good oral hygiene and help prevent any complications during these periods of time.

4. Stress
As you probably already know, stress is linked to many serious conditions such as hypertension, cancer, and numerous other health problems.

Stress is also a risk factor for periodontal disease.

5. Medications
Some drugs, such as oral contraceptives, anti-depressants, and certain heart medicines, can lead to an increased response to gum disease leading to swelling and bleeding of the gums.

6. Clenching or Grinding Your Teeth
Clenching or grinding your teeth can put excess force on the supporting tissues of the teeth and could speed up the rate at which these periodontal tissues are destroyed.

7. Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that causes altered levels of sugar in the blood.

If you are diabetic, you are at higher risk for developing infections, including periodontal diseases.

These infections can impair the ability to process and/or utilize insulin, which may cause your diabetes to be more difficult to control and your infection to be more severe than a non-diabetic.

7. Diabetes
A diet low in important nutrients can compromise the body’s immune system and make it harder for the body to fight off infection.

Because periodontal disease is a serious infection, poor nutrition can worsen the condition of your gums.

8. Poor Nutrition
A diet low in important nutrients can compromise the body’s immune system and make it harder for the body to fight off infection.

Because periodontal disease is a serious infection, poor nutrition can worsen the condition of your gums.

9. Other Systemic Diseases
Diseases that interfere with the body’s immune system may worsen the condition of the gums.

How to preventGum Infection?
You should clean your teeth carefully every day with a soft, small headed toothbrush.

The area where the gum meets the tooth should also be cleaned to ensure the gum tissue and supporting structure remains healthy.

The careful use of dental floss between teeth also assists in removal of plaque.

This will prevent the formation of a gum infection. While it is tempting to avoid cleaning your gums when they are inflamed and bleeding, brushing will help improve the situation.

Professional scaling and cleaning at smile concepts, as one of the gum disease treatment, allows you to keep your smile healthy and disease free.

If you’ve already lost a tooth to gum infection, you may be interested in dental implants the permanent tooth replacement option.

If you would like more information on gum disease treatment, gum infection, sore gums or swollen gums, contact Smile Concepts on 02 8064 9130.

Smile Concepts are the leading Sydney dentist, specialising in general, advanced and cosmetic dentistry. Book an appointment today at Sydney CBD or Five Dock.