DENTAL PROBLEMS : Gum disease

DENTAL PROBLEMS : Gum disease - Gingivitis

DENTAL PROBLEMS
Oral health problems
Dental plaque
Tartar
Tooth decay
Gum disease
Sensitivity
Bad breath
Discoloring
Orthodontic
problems

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THE CAUSE of gum disease
SIGNS of gum disease
THE STAGES of gum disease

THE CAUSE

If environmental conditions promote the overgrowth of bacterial plaque (e.g. poor oral hygiene), changes in the quantity and quality of the plaque occur.

This causes gingivitis, an inflammation of the gingivae adjacent to the plaque layer, which is observed as a swelling and reddening of the gum tissue.

Gingivitis is an early response of the body to a build-up of plaque bacteria, and the effect of the toxins which the bacteria produce.

THE SIGNS

There are some early signs of gum disease that help us to detect it and fight it before it becomes a serious problem :

1. Gums bleeding

2. Red-swollen gums

3. Loss of attachment between teeth and gums

4. Bad breath

5. Increased mobility of teeth

THE STAGES OF GUM DISEASE

The swelling of the gums contributes to deepening of the sulcus (to form a pseudopocket) exposing previously covered enamel - or, in severe cases, dentine - surface.	This allows the formation of an environment suitable for the establishment of anaerobic bacteria underneath the gums (subgingival plaque), which may lead to the much more serious gum disease, periodontitis.
Prolonged irritation of the periodontal membrane around a tooth can lead to breakdown of the membrane and supporting structures, which is largely due to the body's own defense mechanisms attempting to neutralize the bacteria and their toxins.	This produces a gingival pocket which, if allowed to develop, exposes the softer dentine in the root of the tooth.
Ultimately the supporting structures of the tooth may be lost, and the body begins to re-adsorb (or resorb) the alveolar bone in which the tooth was set.	The tooth gradually loosens and, if the condition is left untreated, the tooth will eventually be lost.