The short answer is no. While both are technically gum disease, gingivitis is a bit different than full-blown periodontal disease. What are the differences between gum disease and gingivitis? Let’s review their similarities and differences, as well as why you shouldn’t ignore either of them!

Gingivitis: The First Stage of Gum Disease

Gingivitis literally means gum inflammation. During this earliest stage of gum disease, your gum tissue becomes inflamed by bacteria that aren’t being removed during your oral care process.

While poor oral hygiene is the most common cause of gingivitis, you may be more likely to develop gum inflammation if you smoke or chew tobacco, have a family history of gum disease, or are currently pregnant. Fluctuating hormone levels in the body can make gingivitis more likely, making women who are pregnant or on oral contraception more at risk to develop the condition [1].

Symptoms of gingivitis may not be noticeable at first, but your gums may appear puffy, red, or they may bleed during brushing. Symptoms will be more severe as gingivitis progresses to periodontal disease.

Gum Disease: Advancing Inflammation and Infection

Without treatment, gingivitis will eventually progress to gum disease. Full-blown gum disease is generally more difficult to treat than gingivitis. For many patients, gingivitis can be reversed with a deep cleaning from your dentist and improved home care habits. However, in cases of gum disease, more intensive or repeated therapies may be necessary.

Once gum disease develops, your gums can begin to pull back from your teeth in what’s known as gum recession. Your teeth may become sensitive as your tooth roots may become exposed, and bacteria can get underneath the gum tissue and cause infection.

This infection can destroy the connective tissue that helps anchor your teeth and can even impact the surrounding bone. Eventually, your teeth may begin to feel loose or feel as though they are shifting [2]. If left to progress, gum disease can eventually lead to tooth loss.

What Can You Do?

Both gingivitis and gum disease can be prevented with the right care, which includes:

• Brushing and flossing every day. Brushing twice daily and flossing once a day go a long way towards keeping gum disease from getting started!
• Visiting your dentist. Your dentist can not only look for signs of gum disease, but thoroughly clean your teeth during your visit to help prevent gingivitis.
• Not using tobacco. Avoiding smoking and chewing tobacco can help keep your smile free of gum inflammation and bacteria that cause periodontal disease.
• Eating a healthy diet. A balanced diet with lots of whole foods and minimal added sugars can help support a healthy smile!

Gum disease and gingivitis are also both treatable, so if you’re experiencing any symptoms, don’t hesitate to seek professional attention from your dentist to help remedy the problem!

Don’t Ignore the Signs of Gum Disease!

Both periodontal disease and gingivitis should be taken seriously and treated as soon as possible to avoid long-term consequences for your smile. Regular cleanings and checkups with your dentist can help you avoid gum disease for a strong and beautiful smile for life!

Sources:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2886879/
2. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/gum-disease/more-info#symptoms

The post Gum Disease vs. Gingivitis: What’s the Difference? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

While dental implants are meant to last a lifetime, peri-implantitis can affect the health and longevity of your dental restorations. It’s essential to take the best possible care of your dental implants to avoid any complications so you can have a healthy and strong smile. Here’s what you need to know about peri-implantitis!

What Causes It?

While dental implants are excellent restoration options for your missing teeth, your gum tissue isn’t able to attach to your dental implant in quite the same way that it does to your natural tooth.

Peri-implantitis can happen at any point after your dental implant procedure is complete, whether because the gum tissue hasn’t properly adjusted or because of inadequate oral care. When the gum tissue doesn’t properly attach to your dental implant, it can leave a space where bacteria can enter to cause the gum and bone inflammation we see in peri-implantitis.

Symptoms of Peri-Implantitis

The symptoms of peri-implantitis aren’t dissimilar to those of gum disease. People with peri-implantitis may experience [1]:

• Redness or tenderness in the gum tissue around a dental implant
• Pain or discomfort around the implant
• Bleeding when brushing
• A loose dental implant
• Visible pus or a bad taste in the mouth

Whether or not your symptoms are the result of gum disease or peri-implantitis, getting your dental implant assessed by your professional dentist is essential to determining what the problem is and taking the proper steps for effective treatment!

Risk Factors for Developing the Condition

Certain patients are more at risk to develop peri-implantitis, including those who [2]:

• Smoke or use tobacco
• Have poorly controlled diabetes or osteoporosis
• Have a history or gum disease or bruxism (teeth grinding)
• Have poor oral hygiene

Your dentist will ensure that you are a good candidate for dental implants based on your oral health history and current dental health to increase your chances of proper healing and reduce the risk for any complications.

How Can You Prevent It?

Peri-implantitis can often be prevented; making sure you know how to properly clean your dental implant is important [3]. If you floss too aggressively around the dental crown that completes your implant, you risk damaging the gum tissue’s attachment to the crown.

Like most dental conditions, catching peri-implantitis early can make all the difference to the success of your treatment. With regular visits to your dentist following your dental implant procedure, you can ensure that peri-implantitis isn’t an issue and if it is, make the necessary steps to correct it.

You can also help prevent peri-implantitis by not smoking and keeping your teeth clean. Your dentist is a helpful resource when preventing peri-implantitis, so don’t miss your regular checkups to keep your smile healthy and strong!

Sources:
1. https://www.perio.org/consumer/peri-implant-disease
2. https://jcda.ca/article/e24
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25626479

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Avoiding the dentist can cost you more money and cause more harm than you think years down the line. Here’s why it’s never a good idea to skip those regular visits with your oral healthcare professional.

Neglecting Your Oral Care Can Cost More in the Long Run

One of the major reasons patients report not visiting the dentist is finances [1]. However, neglecting to see your dentist at least once a year—ideally every six months—can majorly impact your finances in the long run.

Think about it. Your natural teeth haven’t cost you anything, but getting a cavity filled, attempting to reverse gum disease, or even replacing a missing tooth can get expensive, especially if you don’t have dental insurance. Taking care of your oral health now can prevent all of these issues, saving you money and your oral health!

People Who Avoid the Dentist Have Poorer Oral Health

People who avoid the dentist as the result of dental phobia have poorer oral health and an increased risk for cavities and missing teeth [2]. Having dental anxiety or dental phobia is treatable, and many dentists today are offering sedation dentistry options to help make their patients even more comfortable during their appointment.

In addition, most conditions that result from lack of proper oral care require numerous treatments to fix—think gum disease or replacing missing teeth. These numerous visits can not only increase anxiety, but result in more time and money spent.

It’s Possible You Have Tooth Decay or Gum Disease Already

Skipping the dentist means you don’t have anyone checking in on your smile every few months to ensure everything’s fine. Life gets in the way, and next thing you know, you have several cavities. Statistics show that 18 percent of children have untreated cavities, as well as 26 percent of adults [3].

It’s also estimated that over 47 percent of adults in the United States have untreated gum disease, so chances are your smile could be suffering and you’re not aware of it. Having a professional check your smile could catch these issues before it’s too late!

Get in Touch with Your Dentist

Every smile is different and your dentist can advise you how often you need to come in for checkups. If you have a history of tooth decay and gum disease, you may need to come in more often, whereas some patients can go six to twelve months without needing to be seen.

Isn’t it time you invested in your beautiful smile to prevent problems (and costly reparations) down the line? Contact your local dentist today to set up an appointment and take care of your teeth and gums!

Sources:
1.https://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Science%20and%20Research/HPI/Files/HPIBrief_111
2. https://www.nature.com/articles/sj.bdj.2017.361
3. https://www.ada.org/en/science-research/health-policy-institute/dental-statistics/patients

The post Avoiding the Dentist Is Costly to Your Smile and Wallet appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Dark Leafy Greens

Get ready for vegetables! Dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and collard greens are highly beneficial for your smile as well as your body. These vegetables are high in vitamins and minerals such as calcium and folic acid, which may help combat gum disease.

How to get: Try as a side dish with each meal, add a handful to a smoothie, or top your next pizza!

Yogurt

Yogurt is not only high in calcium, but contains probiotics, which are healthy bacteria that help nourish teeth and gums and may even help reduce cavities. If you’re lactose intolerant, you can choose coconut milk yogurt or almond milk yogurt instead. Just be sure to choose unsweetened yogurts, as some yogurts can have more sugar than candy!

How to get: Try yogurt as your new breakfast food or as dessert with fresh fruit on top. Yogurt also makes a great snack!

Crunchy Foods

No, we’re not talking about potato chips! These include fresh, raw foods such as apples, carrots, and celery. These crunchy, firm foods help your mouth produce more saliva, which helps balance your bacteria and protect teeth from cavities. These foods also help to actually clean your teeth by scrubbing them with their firm pieces.

How to get: These make excellent snacks and are so easy to take on the go! You can try apples with peanut butter and carrots and celery with hummus.

Green Tea

Although tea has a bad reputation for staining your teeth, green tea has actually been shown to be very beneficial for both teeth and gums. Its polyphenol content can help stop bad bacteria and reduce inflammation in the gums, meaning it may help fight gum disease.

How to get: Try green tea for breakfast instead of coffee, or enjoy iced in the afternoon with lunch!

Nuts

Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and even cashews are high in calcium and other trace minerals that nourish a healthy smile. These crunchy foods can also stimulate saliva production, making your mouth cleaner and healthier.

How to get: Nuts make an excellent snack and can also be used in salads and other dishes as a fun and interesting topping! You can help make your mouth a healthier place just by being choosy about what foods you eat.

These foods make the top of the list when it comes to nourishing your teeth and gums through your diet. By including more leafy greens, yogurt, green tea, and nuts in your diet along with crunchy vegetables and fruits for a snack can help your smile be brighter than ever!

The post The Dental Diet: How Nutrition Can Enhance Your Dental Health appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorders

You’ve likely heard of TMJ disorders, where a misalignment, trauma, or incorrect bite could result in jaw pain and odd sounds. People often experience clicking or popping noises when opening and closing their mouth in addition to headaches, jaw tightness, and even teeth grinding as a result of these conditions.

These disorders can be very uncomfortable, but fortunately, your dentist may be able to help! Talk to your dentist about any jaw pain including any tension or tightness that you’re experiencing. He or she can perform a simple jaw exam to determine if your bite or your temporomandibular joint could be the problem.

Stress or Anxiety

Many people are taught to keep their emotions to themselves and deal with feelings such as anxiety or stress inwardly. This can lead to tension throughout the body, and you may experience this tension in your jaw muscles. When you’re under pressure or feeling stressed out, you may tighten your jaw in response to these stressors, leading to jaw tightness and tension.

There are other ways to handle stress and anxiety rather than placing the pressure on your jaw or your muscles. This type of tension could lead to dull headaches or even intense migraines and can worsen your existing stress. Talk to your doctor or your dentist about healthy habits for handling stress rather than taking that tension in your jaw!

Bruxism (Teeth Grinding)

Do you know if you grind your teeth? Teeth grinding is a common habit that many people aren’t aware they have. Whether you grind your teeth in times of stress or even while sleeping, this could be the sneaky culprit behind your jaw tightness and tension. Bruxism is the technical name for teeth grinding, and bruxism can be extremely damaging to your teeth and put immense pressure on your jaw.

If you grind your teeth at night, you may wake up with jaw pain, a dull headache, or even sore teeth and gums. Since bruxism puts so much pressure on your teeth, this can lead to chips and fractures, enamel erosion, and inflammation, all of which can increase your risk for tooth loss over time. Talk to your dentist about bruxism—he or she can perform an exam and determine if you’re exhibiting signs of teeth grinding that can benefit from treatment.

You don’t have to live with jaw tightness and tension. These symptoms often point to a larger problem that can easily be addressed with your dentist. No one should have to live with pain, so talk to your dentist about your jaw aches and tension to see what’s causing it. There is treatment for bruxism, stress, and TMJ disorders!

The post Jaw Tightness and Tension: What Does It Mean? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

How Periodontitis Affects the Mouth

When you have periodontitis, bacteria slip underneath your gumline and create pockets where an infection is left to damage your gums, the ligaments that help hold your teeth securely in your mouth, and can even lead to tooth loss. You likely have red or irritated gums that are painful when periodontitis is present. The bacteria that cause gum disease are protected underneath your gums because your toothbrush can’t reach these spaces!

In order to combat periodontitis, your dentist will need to clean out these pockets and remove the infection. If your periodontitis isn’t severe, you likely won’t need surgical treatment. Non-surgical treatment for periodontitis is also called root planing or scaling. This deep cleaning can help to remove the infection and restore your gums.

What Is Root Planing and Scaling?

When your gums harbor infectious tissue and bacteria, root planing and scaling is often the first step your dentist will take to help get your mouth back to normal. During this procedure, you’ll receive local anesthesia to help with any discomfort you may feel. Your dentist will then conduct a thorough cleaning using special tools to remove plaque, infection, bacteria, and tartar that are causing the inflammation from your teeth and gums.

Your dentist will also smooth the roots of your teeth back into place, which helps your gums maintain their normal shape and therefore protect your teeth and gums from harmful bacteria that may try to re-enter areas below the gumline. Oftentimes, this treatment is the only treatment that’s needed for periodontitis!

Effectively Treat Periodontitis

If your gum disease has progressed to the point that it’s causing your gums to become inflamed and harbor infection, you can effectively treat periodontitis the first time with root planing and scaling. With regular dental checkups and great home care habits for your smile, this may be the only treatment you need! Generally, the gums respond well to this treatment and are able to heal. Your dentist is able to help prevent further damage and protect your smile with non-surgical treatment for periodontitis.

If your gums are tender, bleed when brushing, or look “puffy” and swollen out from your teeth, it’s time to visit your dentist to check for gum disease. Periodontitis can often be easily treated with root planing and scaling by your local dentist, and with some oral health care changes, your gums can be restored and healthily support your teeth for life!

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Why do you need professional treatment for gingivitis?

To Remove Tartar

Plaque forms on our teeth daily, especially when our diets consist of a lot of processed foods or sugars. Plaque is easily removed with gentle brushing and a proper toothbrush. However, when you forgo brushing, have a poor diet, or have a surplus of bad bacteria in your mouth, you could be putting yourself at risk to have an increased amount of plaque, which can turn into tartar.

Tartar is a hard deposit that can only be removed by a professional oral health care specialist, such as a dentist or periodontist. They carefully scrape and remove the tartar, which can help your teeth and gums to heal and reverse the gum disease. Once tartar forms from plaque, it cannot be removed with any home care techniques.

How Advanced Is Your Gum Disease?

Your gum disease may not seem so bad, especially if you only see a little blood when brushing or experience mild tenderness of the gums. However, gum disease can be much more advanced than you think. Often patients won’t even know they have gingivitis until they visit their dentist. By the time you’re experiencing symptoms, your gum disease may be more advanced than you think it is. A dentist or periodontist can determine how advanced your gum disease is and may even be able to reverse it. Gum disease is reversible at certain stages, which makes it even more important to visit your dentist for checkups and seek professional treatment for your gum disease before it’s too late.

Infections Can Happen

Trying to treat gum disease at home isn’t only unsuccessful, but can be dangerous as well. Patients can develop infections due to the plaque and tartar on their teeth that are causing their gums to swell and bleed. These infections could be life-threatening if they enter the bloodstream, or the infection could turn into an abscess of the tooth.

Tooth abscesses caused by periodontal disease can even happen in the bone that supports your teeth in your jaw in extreme cases. Tooth abscesses tend to be painful and can lead to drainage of the infection that can end up in your mouth or sinuses. If not treated, a cyst can form in the bone which can cause the need for tooth extraction to drain the abscess and properly treat the infection.

It’s important to never ignore what your body is trying to tell you. When symptoms are present,schedule a visit with your dentist or periodontist. Don’t have dental insurance? Many offices offer financing through a third party, which is often available at 0% interest. You need professional treatment for your gingivitis!

The post Why You Need Professional Treatment for Your Gingivitis appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Promotes Inflammation

Smoking irritates your airways. This can lead to a constant cough, frequent nasal or sinus infections, and inflammation. This inflammation makes your airways swell and this swelling can obstruct your airways, leading to Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is the most common type of sleep apnea affecting millions of people all over the world. You are particularly at risk for sleep apnea if you smoke and have airways that are small in structure. This inflammation can also irritate your upper airways, therefore leading to snoring. Snoring is a common symptom of sleep apnea and should be checked out by your doctor.

Relaxes Airway Muscles

The nicotine in cigarettes is known to give smokers that “relaxation” effect, although in reality it actually increases your heart rate, not to mention is highly addictive and is actually an insecticide, meaning it’s used to kill insects. Exposure to nicotine can greatly affect your central nervous system and can hinder your growth. Nicotine also relaxes the muscles that keep your airways open while you’re sleeping, therefore leading to obstruction of the airways, and hence, Obstructive Sleep Apnea. This, in addition to the irritation, inflammation, and fluid retention that cigarette smoke can cause in the airways, can hinder your breathing and cause sleep apnea.

How Quitting Can Help

Quitting smoking is not easy—thanks to the highly addictive ingredient nicotine—but it is possible and there is help. Quitting smoking can help your sleep apnea almost immediately. You’ll be able to breathe better both while awake and while sleeping. The inflammation and fluid retention in your airways will decrease, and there’ll be no nicotine present to relax your airways, therefore helping by keeping them open and operable. You’ll be less likely to have obstructed airways during sleeping and therefore quitting smoking combined with other lifestyle changes such as exercise and decreased alcohol intake can help you overcome your sleep apnea.

Visiting your regular physician when trying to quit can also help, as they’ll be able to offer you support for helping you quit, including nicotine patches and gum to help ease cravings. Your dentist can also help you overcome sleep apnea while you’re trying to quit—dental appliances that help reposition your tongue or jaw may be able to help you breathe easier at night.

Smokers are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea, so quitting is your best option if you’re at risk or already have sleep apnea. Deciding to quit is the first step. By quitting smoking, you can breathe easier and work with your doctor and dentist to treat your sleep apnea, and hopefully one day be free from the disorder altogether.

The post How Is Sleep Apnea Linked to Smoking? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

Periodontal disease begins with bacteria. There are always bacteria present in our mouths, but when left behind, they can build up and cause plaque, a sticky film that attacks the gums. Hardened plaque is called tartar, which has to be scraped off with dental instruments. As periodontal disease continues, it harms the gums and causes them to separate from the teeth. It weakens the connection between the bones and the tooth roots, and if not treated, it can eventually cause tooth loss.

Symptoms of periodontal disease that you may notice include swollen or reddened gums, painful gums or teeth or bleeding gums, especially after brushing. If you have any of these symptoms you should get to the dentist right away. Chronic bad breath that is not directly caused by food or beverages may be a sign of gum disease as well.

Periodontal disease is easy to treat when it is caught early. Simple gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease, is reversible with a thorough cleaning at the dentist’s office. When the disease is below the gum line, a deep cleaning can remove the plaque and tartar. At this stage the disease is called periodontitis.

A deep cleaning, called scaling, goes below the gum line with special instruments, and then the roots are smoothed to prevent reinfection. Antibiotics may be prescribed after treatment. In severe cases of periodontal disease surgery may be required for treatment.

Because genetics and illness can cause gum disease, even the most ardent brushers and flossers need to be aware that they may get gum disease too. The dentist can often diagnose gingivitis before you will see symptoms yourself. Dental checkups can catch periodontal disease early and treat it easily before it can get worse and require extensive treatment.

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