Gum Disease Can Mean Lost Teeth
It’s the LEADING cause of
tooth loss in adults!
Yes,
periodontal disease, aka gum disease, more than decay, is the primary cause of lost teeth. Since it can be completely painless in early and moderate stages, many people don’t know they have it until they begin losing teeth.
Symptoms include bleeding gums when you brush or floss and loose or shifting teeth. If you’ve been told you need gum surgery, you will be glad to know that Dr. Johnny Hopp can help you control control gum disease with a variety of non-surgical methods.
Gum Disease Goes Beyond Missing Teeth
The statistics are staggering. The American Dental Association estimates that 8 out of 10 Americans have periodontal (gum) disease. At that rate, afflictions such as AIDS or tuberculosis would be considered epidemic. Most dentists do, in fact, consider gum disease at an epidemic level.
But the biggest consequence was believed to be lost teeth. Hardly pleasant, but not life threatening. Or is it? Recent medical research has linked gum disease, stroke, and heart disease. Since heart disease can be fatal, gum disease is obviously a serious matter.
The
American Academy of Periodontology reports:
“studies found periodontal infection may contribute to the development of heart disease, increase the risk of premature, underweight births, and pose a serious threat to people whose health is already compromised due to diabetes and respiratory diseases.”
Periodontal disease is characterized by bacterial infection of the gums. These bacteria can travel into the bloodstream – straight to the heart.
Thankfully, Gum Disease Can Be Successfully Treated!
Gum surgery is the best treatment for advanced periodontal disease, and is usually covered by common dental insurance plans. When periodontal disease is in earlier stages, there are very effective NON-surgical procedures.
When those procedures are coupled with improved dental hygiene, can virtually halt the spread of the disease. This, too, is usually covered under most dental insurance plans.
Why Missing Teeth Are Very Problematic
Gum disease and/or decay are the leading cause of lost teeth, though most people would expect accidents or other trauma to be at the top of the list. But even though losing a tooth isn’t life-threatening, even a single missing tooth can cause the other teeth to shift and move around, with unpleasant consequences.
Tooth loss can affect chewing and your ability to absorb nutrients from your food. Other bad things can happen: your face will change shape, often looking “sunken.”
This can make you look much older than you really are. Your speech can be affected. Because it’s harder to chew with missing teeth, you may find yourself favoring softer foods and more carbohydrates, which can cause you to gain weight.
The best way to treat a missing tooth (or missing teeth) is with
dental implants. An implant can replace one tooth or many. They can be made to look so natural that even a dentist has to look hard to tell the difference.
Dr. Hopp and his team look forward to providing
quality dentistry and expert periodontal care in a comfortable, relaxed setting. Their office is located in
Gillette, Wyoming.
Call our office at (307) 687-0444 to learn more or schedule an appointment.
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