Periodontal disease ranges in severity from gingivitis (bleeding, inflamed gums) to periodontitis or full-blown gum disease. At this latter stage, tooth loss is a potential risk. Most people think that bleeding gums are not a big deal. They would be wrong. It should not be a normal occurrence. If your gums bleed when brushing or flossing that is a harbinger of infection and gum irritation due to bacteria.

The only way to fight periodontal disease is to keep up a healthy oral cleaning routine starting with 2x daily brushing and 1x daily flossing. Then keeping regular check-ups with professional teeth cleanings.

Hygienists give proper cleanings involving scraping calcified bacteria build up (tartar) off of your teeth. Tartar is an irritant that usually forms along the gum line. This is why dentists will tell you to brush at a 45-degree angle to get along the gum line.

We will also determine your overall gum health by measuring the area where your gum meets your teeth. If there is a space where the root is showing a particular amount you will be diagnosed with periodontal disease.

If you want more information about gum disease, Dr. John Poulos would be happy to help you. Please contact Northport Prosthodontics to make an appointment at: 631-262-0644, or come by our office in Northport, New York.

The post The Seriousness of Periodontal (Gum) Disease first appeared on Northport Prosthodontics.

This is even more likely to happen if you have a bad habit of putting off your routine dental checkup at Dr. John Poulos’s dental office.

The earliest stage of gum disease, which is known as gingivitis, can cause your gums to bleed easily, look inflamed and cause chronic bad breath problems. If you continue to procrastinate treatment with Dr. John Poulos, gingivitis can develop into a more serious periodontal health problem.

As the inflammation worsens your periodontal tissues can gradually start to pull back from the bases of your teeth. This can cause an infection to build up near the roots of your teeth. In time the condition of periodontitis can start to weaken the roots of your teeth. In time it could even cause a loss of bone structure in the underlying tissues.

Treating this level of periodontal infection can require oral surgery like a gingival flap treatment, gingival resection, or a gum graft to remediate the infected materials and prevent tooth loss.

If you are in the Northport, New York, area and you have periodontal disease concerns, you should call 631-262-0644 to schedule an appointment with Dr. John Poulos or one of the oral care specialists at Northport Prosthodontics.

The post Long Term Periodontal Health Problems Can Lead to the Loss of Multiple Teeth first appeared on Northport Prosthodontics.