Kenneth J Bosch DMD

Having a dental team is the best combination for fighting periodontal disease. Your regular dentist and your periodontist should share information on a regular basis in order to better monitor your general oral health, and to identify problems that exist or may arise.

If you have severe gum disease, the bacteria from swollen or bleeding gums can actually travel through your bloodstream and potentially worsen or create other types of health issues.

Did you know that 8-10 percent of American adults suffer from some type of periodontal disease? However, both smoking and diabetes increase your risk for periodontal diseases significantly.

Two of the treatments offered by periodontists are scaling and root planing and root surface debridement. The former involves cleaning the infected surface of the root while the latter entails removal of damaged tissue.

When visiting the periodontist, either for the first time or as part of a regular oral hygiene regimen, make sure to pass along information about changes in your overall health and any medications you may be taking.

Did you know that periodontal disease can be passed from parents to children and between couples? In fact, according to the Academy of General Dentistry, kissing can give you as many as 500 different species of germs, including those that result in gum disease.

Being active in dental care is the best way to avoid periodontal disease and the health complications it may bring. The best plan of attack is brushing after every meal and at bedtime, flossing at least once a day, and making regular visits to the dentist and periodontist.

Did you know that periodontitis can cause severe respiratory infections? Inhaling bacteria from your mouth and throat can result in pneumonia, since the buildup of plaque creates a dangerous source of bacteria that you can inhale into your lungs.

Use a soft or medium brush to keep from irritating your gums any more than necessary, and when you brush, make sure you use toothpaste with fluoride in it. The fluoride will help remove the plaque from your teeth.

Periodontal disease is caused by bacteria in the gums. Signs of periodontal disease include red or swollen gums, bleeding gums, and loose or missing teeth. If one or more of these signs are present, have a checkup to keep it from getting worse.

One of the most difficult aspects of treating periodontal diseases is that they can be extremely difficult to identify until they have progressed to severe stages.

One of the easiest ways to get rid of gingivitis before it worsens is to visit a dentist for a thorough teeth cleaning, since this can get rid of much of the nastiness that is causing your gums to bleed.

Periodontitis evolves from untreated gingivitis. Plaque has continued to spread and is now growing below the gum line, and toxins produced in the plaque irritate the gums, and begin to break down the bone and tissues that support the teeth.