What Happens If You Neglect Gum Bleeding?

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German Dental & Neuromuscular Clinic

Cluster W, JLT, Dubai
Dubai

Periodontics is a field of dentistry focusing on gums and surrounding structure of the tooth

Q: What is periodontics and who should see a periodontist?

A: Periodontics is a field of dentistry focusing on gums and surrounding structure of the tooth, the bone and the small ligaments which are holding the tooth in place.

 Whoever feels there are some issues starting with the gums redness around gums, bleeding, gaps between the teeth which are growing or getting bigger, any recessions on the gums where more roots of the teeth are getting exposed; these are main factors that patients may consider to see a periodontist.

Gum disease is an inflammatory disease around gums 

Q: What is gum disease and how does it happen?

A: Gum disease is an inflammatory disease around gums, which is caused by a specific type of bacteria. These bacteria we find them in the white layer of tooth, called plaque, which collects around teeth, which include bacteria, the food – of course, and saliva. If this layer is not removed timely from around the area of teeth, the bacteria starts to attack the gums. At the beginning, we have the first stage of gum disease which is called gingivitis. This is just focused around the gum, not yet further to the supporting area of the teeth – the bones and the ligaments – the treatment of gingivitis is quite easy: just improving the oral hygiene, and helping the patients understand the problem, and doing a bit more at home, that will treat the issue.

If the problem persists longer and it goes further down to the supporting areas, the bone and the ligaments, then the treatment will get little more complicated. In those cases, we need to do a treatment called deep-scaling of the teeth, where we go deeper inside the pocket, and try to remove all the plaque and harder calculus sitting around the roots. Removing the bacteria around the gums and the bones will help to regenerate the gums and the bones and we can get back the lost tissue partially, and for sure we can stop the problem from getting worse.

Periodontal diseases is a quiet disease

Q: What can happen if you don’t treat the gum disease properly?

A: If the bone structure around the tooth, which is holding our tooth, is getting lost, then the tooth get weaker and starts to get wiggly, gradually. That’s the time that, if it is not treated, it causes a complete loss of the tooth. That’s why we always recommend the patients to try to do as soon as possible something for these issues. Not to wait too long.

 The problem with periodontal diseases is that it is a quiet disease. In most of the cases they don’t get any problems or issues, they might have sometime a bit of bleeding around the gums or sometimes bad breath, or some other issues like that, but it’s nothing serious which bothers them. Because of that, in a lot of cases, we see the patients quite late. In advanced stages, it is very difficult to do something or to save the tooth.

Diabetes can make the gum disease worse

Q: Can gum diseases affect other part of our body?

A: One of the diseases that affects or makes the gum disease worse is diabetes. When the blood circulations towards the gums is affected by diabetes, nutritious substances are not reaching the gums tissue, and they will get weaker and weaker. That’s why we see diabetes patients at much higher risk of periodontitis or gum disease than the normal patients.

There are other issues, which can be affected by the gum disease. For example, cardio vascular diseases. The bacteria which are produced around the gums can get into the blood stream and reach the heart and cause some cardio vascular diseases. The risk of the cancer is much higher, with the people having gum diseases; prostate issues for men is higher if they have gum diseases, so we can see that the gum diseases are not localized problem only inside the mouth. It is something that can affect our all body, and we have to take it seriously.