Dental care is one of the most important parts of your healthcare. You need strong and healthy teeth and gums in order to chew and process food properly, prevent bacteria from getting in and live your life without pain.
And let’s face it – you want to enjoy your life. You don’t want to scream in pain every time you eat something sweet or cold. In some cases, even biting is painful.
However, people don’t give enough attention to their oral health. They ignore the pain because their fear of the dentist is bigger than their desire to have a healthy mouth. So, the conditions progress and things get worse.
They get used to eating a certain way and avoiding certain foods and drinks.
But do you really want to live your life like this?
Periodontitis is one of the diseases that often get ignored – click here to learn more about it. It’s a serious problem that can affect your entire lifestyle.
What is Periodontitis?
Periodontitis is a disease of the gums. It’s an infection that can damage the bone and soft tissue supporting your teeth and it can cause tooth loss.
It’s fairly common and often ignored. However, it’s also preventable.
Periodontitis is caused by bad oral hygiene. People who don’t brush and floss daily are usually the people who get it. But this isn’t always the case. Here’s more on causes of periodontitis: https://www.healthline.com/health/periodontitis
Getting regular checkups and performing proper hygiene can largely remove the risk of periodontitis or make it easier to treat on
Symptoms of Periodontitis
Healthy gums will look paler and they won’t be sensitive. However, with periodontitis, you can spot these problems:
- Puffy and swollen gums
- Purple or bright red in color
- Tenderness
- They will bleed easily
- Gums pulling away from the teeth – teeth look bigger
- Your teeth may develop more spaces than before
- Your breath will be bad
- Your teeth will feel loose or be loose
- Chewing will be painful
- Your teeth will fit together differently than they used to
So, you’ll definitely notice. Red and swollen gums that changed their color are usually the first sign that you should see a dentist. It might not be periodontitis, but it’s definitely a reason to get a checkup.
By the time your teeth start falling out, the infection has already progressed a lot. Still, a dentist will be able to alleviate some of the symptoms and help you stop the disease. Generally, noticing any of these symptoms is a red flag and you should make an appointment right away.
While it can be scary to have your teeth checked, keep in mind that your teeth falling out is even scarier.
Types of Periodontitis
Periodontitis is a disease that comes in different types. In order to know which one you have, you need to see a professional. But you also may recognize some of the following symptoms of these different periodontitis types.
- The chronic type of periodontitis is a common type of infection that affects adults and sometimes kids. It’s usually caused by the buildup of plaque. Your teeth will deteriorate slowly but they will fall out eventually. Essentially, it will cause teeth destruction and loss, as well as gum deterioration. Still, if you get treatment, a dentist can prevent this.
- Aggressive periodontitis is the type of this infection that starts at an early age and progresses into adulthood. It’s rare, but it’s still possible. It can be hereditary and if you already had someone in your family with this infection, it could affect you as well. Aggressive periodontitis means that your teeth will fall out quickly if you leave it untreated.
- Finally, the most severe type of this disease is the necrotizing type. Gum tissue dies because there is no blood flow to that area and so do bones and ligaments which hold your teeth in place. This results in a bad infection. Usually, people with bad immunity caused by another disease get it. For example, people who have HIV had treatment for cancer, lead poisoning, malnutrition and so on.
Signs You Should See a Dentist
There is no single answer to this. The best way to go is to visit your dentist as per the schedule they set up for you. If you notice any issues from that list of periodontal symptoms between your appointments, you should schedule a visit as soon as possible. The sooner your dentist knows about this, the better. They can start your treatment and prevent any larger damage to your mouth.
Keep in mind that this is an inflammation that can cause prolonged issues with your immune system, not just problems with your teeth.
Here are some risk factors for periodontitis:
If you already have gingivitis – the mildest form of periodontitis
If you have bad habits when it comes to hormonal changes
If you smoke or chew tobacco – even if you did in the past but not recently
If you are older
If you have recently gone through or are going through some hormonal changes like being pregnant or going through menopause
- If you have ever had problems with substance abuse
- If you are obese
- If you have a vitamin C deficiency
- If anyone in your family had this infection
- If you are taking medications that affect gums
- If you have HIV, had cancer treatment, leukemia and so on
- If you have diabetes, arthritis or Chron’s disease
Keep in mind that something as innocent as plaque buildup and subsequent tartar can lead to periodontitis, so handle these issues as soon as possible.
How To Prevent Periodontitis
One of the best ways to prevent it is to brush and floss often. A good routine is to brush twice and floss once a day. This should be done daily, throughout your life. A good tip is to floss before you brush.
Regular checkups are also a good way to catch the infection in its infancy and prevent it from growing and spreading.
