Gum disease is alarmingly more prevalent in the American population than most people think. A research report published by the American Dental Association estimated that up to 47 percent of adults over the age of 30 are affected by some degree of gum disease.
Poor oral hygiene habits or inconsistencies in your brushing and flossing technique can leave stray food material and bacterial plaque in your mouth. These deposits can gradually start to harden into bacterial-rich tartar near the gumline.
When this happens, your gums can start to look inflamed or they could even bleed easily while brushing and flossing. These are early signs that gingivitis has developed.
If you are experiencing symptoms such as these, you should schedule an appointment for treatment at David E. Pearson DMD PC.
Without professional treatment and improvements in your daily oral hygiene routine, gingivitis can easily progress in severity. If it develops into periodontitis, the complications can be severe and long lasting.
This severe infection and inflammation in your gums can cause the tissues to recede from the base of your teeth. In time, small pockets of infection can form deep within the gum tissues, which can gradually cause the loss of structure in the bones that anchor your teeth in your mouth.
At the same time, systemic inflammation from chronic gum disease also poses a significant threat to your immune system. Recent research has found that this can affect other medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and stroke. While gum disease can’t cause these conditions, they do seem to have some level of impact or they can limit your treatment options.
If you live in the Lawrenceville, Georgia area and you have gum health concerns, you should call 770.995.9051 to seek professional diagnosis and treatment from Dr. David E. Pearson.