Diagnosis | Treatment | Maintenance
Periodontal Disease - Chicago Dentist
The vast majority of all people have periodontal disease and don’t even know it. In fact studies show that over 80% of Americas have early or late stage periodontal disease; most are not even aware of it because the disease goes undetected in the early stages.
Chicago Dentist Dr. Bagai has worked with hundreds of patients with early and late stage periodontal disease.
"Periodontal" refers to the tissue or region around a tooth. Periodontal disease is typically defined by swollen and bleeding gums, and eroding bone structure that supports the teeth. Typically, when plague develops and is not removed it begins to destroy both gum and bone structure.
While Periodontal disease can be avoided by routine flossing and brushing – most people still need periodic cleanings administered by a dental professional.
Chicago Dentist Dr. Bagai points out that, "addressing periodontal disease is important both for oral health and hygiene but also for overall health; as studies have shown a connection between periodontal disease and other non-oral illnesses."
Research suggests a connection between periodontal disease and increased risk in pregnancy, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and bacterial pneumonia. It should be noted that smoking accelerates periodontal disease.
At Advanced Family Dental, Chicago Dentist Dr. Bagai and his team of dental hygienists recommend establishing a preventative schedule that includes a balanced diet, regular dental visits, daily brushing and routine flossing.
How do you know if you have periodontal disease?
- Are your gums bleeding? - If you have healthy gums, they should not bleed, even with vigorous brushing and flossing.
- Do you have weak or loose teeth? - If so, you most likely have accelerated periodontal disease as your bone and gum structure has been weakened.
- Do you have incrementally larger spaces between teeth? - This is also a sign of accelerated periodontal disease due to structural bone loss.
- Is your breath consistently bad? - This is a sign and is caused by bacteria.
- Do you have pus around your teeth and gums? - A sign of infection.
- Are your gums receding? - Loss of gum around a tooth.
- Are your gums red or puffy? - Gums should never be red or swollen.
- Do you experience tenderness or discomfort while brushing? - This is due to increased plaque and bacteria build up.