This article explains what periodontal disease is and how the bacterial infection that ultimately causes tooth loss progresses.

One of the most common and pervasive diseases in the United States is periodontal disease: an advanced and chronic infection of the soft tissue (gums) surrounding the teeth. As much as 80% of the population presents with some form or stage of this disease, say Connecticut dental implants experts. The leading causes are poor oral hygiene, failing to see the dentist regularly and bad habits such as tobacco-use, hard drinking and drug abuse. This also makes periodontal (gum) disease one of the most preventable ailments affecting society, say Connecticut dental implants experts.

Connecticut Dental Implants: A Revision of Tooth Anatomy

Your teeth are composed of the most resilient material in the body. But beneath their hard, protective outer coating of dental enamel, lies the softer and more easily eroded dentin, say Connecticut dental implants surgeons. Beneath that is the heart of the tooth (pulp chamber), where the delicate collection of nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue is housed. Cavities in the dental enamel, therefore, pose a very serious risk to the health of the tooth. Once bacteria have infiltrated this outer defense, there is very little the body can do on its own to protect the heart of the tooth – the pulp chamber – against infection.

What you need to understand about bacteria is that they are tiny, tiny organisms, say Connecticut dental implants experts. You may like to think of your teeth and gums as being invulnerable to them, but this is about as far from the truth as ex-planet Pluto is from the sun. What you might perceive to be as the tiny, impenetrable spaces between your teeth are, on a microscopic level, huge wide open spaces that offer protection against the roaming bristles of your toothbrush. And while your gums may appear to be sealed firmly against the crowns of the teeth, through the (metaphorical) eyes of bacteria they too are wide open sheltered spaces, say Connecticut dental implants experts.

Connecticut Dental Implants: The Progression of Gum Disease

Gum disease begins as gingivitis; a mild bacterial infection of the gums. Because this condition doesn’t tend to cause much pain, patients can live with it for many years, say Connecticut dental implants surgeons. Without treatment, the disease-causing bacteria continue to multiply and penetrate deeper and deeper into the gums. Safe from any of the home oral hygiene measures you may employ, the colonies of bacteria and their waste products begin to accumulate in deep pockets in the tiny spaces between the roots of the teeth and the surrounding gum walls (the gingival sulci).

The gums become irritated, inflamed, swollen and then begin to pull away from the crowns of the teeth, say Connecticut dental implants experts. Deposits of bacteria harden to form tartar, rendering the teeth a far more unattractive shade of yellow, brown and even green. The teeth become loose, the gums tear easily and bleed and eventually, patients will start losing their teeth. It is at this advanced stage of disease that many patients finally seek treatment from Connecticut dental implants experts. What they don’t realize is that their problems go MUCH further than just the need for teeth replacement using Connecticut dental implants.

Patients presenting with advanced periodontal disease first require surgery to eliminate all the bacteria, calculus and infection that plagues their oral cavity. Only once a measure of oral health has been restored will a Connecticut dental implants surgeon consider addressing the functional and aesthetic problems caused by having missing teeth.

Connecticut Dental Implants: The Take-Home Message

Allowing oral problems to go undiagnosed and unaddressed leads to problems that are not only far more uncomfortable and painful to treat; the solutions needed are far more expensive too. Look after your teeth and gums, stress Connecticut dental implants experts. Even the most sophisticated tooth replacement techniques today can’t rival your own biological technology.

This 8-part series provides an in-depth look at seven different habits, addictions and behaviors that are deadly to your oral health.

Welcome back to our 8-part article series on the different habits, behaviors and addictions that are deadly to the health of your teeth and gums. By indulging in these various “dental sins”, you could eventually find yourself sitting in a consultation with a Connecticut dental implants specialist! In our previous installment, Part 5, we discussed the dangers of being rough with your teeth (using them as tools, not wearing a mouth guard during sports play and eating hard candies and ice). In this article, the seventh installment of the series, we will be exploring deadly dental sin # 6: teeth grinding and jaw clenching.

Stress, Stress, Stress!

The modern lifestyle is marked by stress. It seems that in every magazine we read examples of people who have done tremendously well and we tend to pit ourselves against these “untouchables” – the top 5% of human achievers on the planet – rather than be a little more realistic in our personal goals. You may never be as wealthy as Oprah Winfrey or as business savvy as Donald Trump. You may never own as many cars as Jeremy Clarkson or as many houses as Tom Cruise. Yet still, our goals tend to be stratospheric in ambition and we push ourselves to our very limits to achieve them.

But, even if you don’t want anything more than to pay your next round of bills, life on this planet can be exceptionally hard and demanding. Stress is a common problem and it’s a potentially fatal one too. Typical symptoms of stress are teeth grinding and jaw clenching. For some reason, anxiety, stress and anger cause us to gnash our teeth together and tighten our jaw muscles and we almost always do this sub-consciously. What’s the problem with this?

The Problems of Teeth Grinding and Jaw Clenching

See the above picture? THIS is the problem with teeth grinding and jaw clenching. These habits have a murderous effect upon your teeth. “I have seen patients who have ground their teeth down to nubs,” says a Connecticut dental implants specialist. “Some teeth needed replacement, some needed root canals and all needed capping. This patient had utterly devastated their dentition from grinding their teeth at night.”

The problem with teeth grinding and jaw clenching is that we tend to do them sub-consciously or at nighttime when we’re asleep, so it’s nearly impossible to discipline ourselves to stop. This is why certain preventative measures are so important:

1. If you have a habit of grinding your teeth – a condition referred to as “Bruxism” – go to your dentist and have a mouth guard fitted. Wear it to bed every night to prevent nocturnal gnashing from wrecking your teeth.
2. Go for regular scheduled appointments with your dentist so that they can keep an eye on any damage your habits may be doing.
3. Get to the root of the problem and find a way to cope better with stress. Take up an arts class or some yoga… try communicating more with your boss or colleagues if you’re feeling stressed at work. Reassess your life’s goals and decide what would make you happier and less stressed. Take a holiday!

Dealing with stress won’t only save your teeth from certain destruction; it may save your life, too!

Stay Tuned for Part 8

Stay tuned for the final installment of this 8-part article series in which Stamford dental implants specialists discuss the 7th deadly dental sin against good oral health: excessive drinking.

This four-part article series presents a suite of interesting facts every dental healthcare practitioner wished their patients knew and practiced.

You only get one set of natural teeth once your milk teeth have, one by one, been taken away by the tooth fairy… and they are supposed to last you a lifetime. Yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tooth loss is a pervasive problem facing the United States and poor oral hygiene, a lack of professional care and gum disease are to blame.

In this four-part article series, a NJ dental implants professional sits down and speaks to us about the many important things dental healthcare professionals wish patients knew and adhered to, from how to properly store your toothbrush to the fact that there exists a strong connection between gum disease and a whole suite of potentially fatal illnesses. If we did adhere to these things, the incidence of tooth loss would be considerably less than it is and more people would be smiling with much greater confidence.

Let’s get started!

1. It’s not normal for your gums to bleed.

“It’s quite shocking just how many people think it’s normal for their gums to bleed when they brush or floss their teeth,” says the NJ dental implants Professional. “If you washed your hands and they started to bleed, wouldn’t you think that something was wrong? Absolutely, and you’d probably rush off to the nearest doctor. Your gums are no different. Gums tear easily and bleed when they have become compromised by inflammation and /or infection, so you should book an appointment with your dentist to have the problem diagnosed and treated.”

“In many cases, the cause of bleeding gums is gum disease, which, in its beginning stages is referred to as gingivitis. Left untreated, this condition can progress to become periodontitis, which is an advanced bacterial infection of the gums and supporting structures of the teeth,” explains a Connecticut dental implants professional. “Good oral hygiene – regular and thorough brushing and flossing – is essential in the prevention of the oral diseases that cause gums to bleed and the teeth to become decayed and loose.”

The Remedy: If your gums bleed, try not to press so hard when brushing. If they still bleed, you may have gum disease. Book an appointment with your dentist immediately. Practice a stricter home oral hygiene routine and floss daily.

2. Floss that frays quickly might be a sign of a cavity.

"If you’ve ever tried to floss between two teeth and the floss keeps coming away frayed, you might have an irregularity in the structure of your tooth that’s causing the floss to become snagged and the fibers to come apart," explains the NJ dental implants professional. "If you’ve noticed any other problems, such as sensitivity, pain or discoloration of the tooth, then you’d be best advised to see your dentist right away. An untreated cavity can lead to infection of the pulp chamber, which may require endodontic therapy (a "root canal") to fix."

3. You should see the dentist at least once a year, even if nothing feels wrong.

“Prevention is always, always better than cure… it’s also cheaper,” says the Connecticut dental implants professional. “What so many patients don’t realize is that serious problems, such as cavities and gum disease, may not cause any pain. Since most people rely on their comfort levels to compel them to seek treatment, these problems are allowed to progress to the point where permanent damage is done and the necessary solutions are more expensive and more traumatic. Go see your dentist every six months to a year, regardless of how healthy you think your teeth are.”

Stay Tuned for Part 2

To read more of the important facts the NJ dental implants professional wished patients knew, stay tuned for the second installment of this four-part article series.