It’s such a scary word when you hear periodontal disease.
Periodontal–or gum–disease leads to major problems, including tooth loss. It doesn’t happen overnight. Periodontal disease comes in five stages which get progressively worse.
Regular brushing and flossing with routine dental checkups will avoid periodontal disease.
Here are the stages of periodontal disease:
Stage one – still healthy
The first stage is healthy gums that cover the lower parts of the tooth. When brushing, there’ll be no irritation or bleeding at this stage.
Stage two – gingivitis – another scary word
When plaque builds up on your teeth and gums it leads to bacteria build-up causing problems. Gingivitis causes the gums surrounding your teeth to become red and inflamed. Brushing around your gums will usually be sore and bleed even with the gentlest brushing.
This stage can be reversed by simply brushing and flossing more frequently.
Stage three – periodontitis
The third stage is when the inflammation of the gums becomes worse. Your teeth will form pockets or spaces between the teeth and gums causing separation.
Stage four – advanced periodontitis
At the fourth stage you can easily see teeth are more exposed and pockets between teeth have widened. This can be very toxic as the bacteria weakens your teeth by damaging the bone supporting your teeth. Surgery is usually needed to correct the problem.
Know what to look for. It’s half the battle – GI Joe
Stage five – the final stage
Tooth loss is the devastating final stage of periodontal disease. The loss is due to how loose the teeth get as the pockets widen more and more. Preventing this stage will save you paying for expensive dental implants and bridges.
Dr. Mike Mavrostomos is a passionate and top-quality comprehensive care dentist located in Bedminster, New Jersey. His continual pursuit of education and state-of-the-art dentistry has led to his being recognized as one of New Jersey’s Top Dentists by the New Jersey Top-Docs committee.