Healthy Fluids

There are some people who mistake gingivitis and periodontitis as one gum disease only. This is incorrect since both are two different oral problems. Take the time to get to know the differences between the two.

Defining Gingivitis And Periodontitis

First of all, gingivitis is a gum disease. It refers to the inflammation of tissues that surround, and support the teeth. Varying in terms of severity, gingivitis is attributed mostly to poor oral hygiene.

On the other hand, periodontitis is also an inflammation but this time, it is the inflammation and infection of the bone below the teeth.

Causes of These Oral Diseases

In terms of what causes the diseases, gingivitis and periodontitis have one common denominator: bacteria. While it is true that even a healthy mouth is inhabited by at least 700 species of bacteria, left unmanaged, the bacteria that grow around teeth in the mouth, forms plaque, which eventually forms tartar. This bacteria produces a toxin that damages gum and bone tissue, and results in gum disease.

Other causes of gingivitis and periodontitis stem from the following:

Smoking and chewing tobacco: These practices damage the gums.

Hormonal changes: An increase in hormones correlates to the susceptibility of the gumsâ blood vessels to bacterial attacks.

Certain diseases like diabetes and cancer: They impair blood circulation, and affect the gums' ability to heal.

Medications: There are some medications that can increase your risk of getting gum disease. Check with your Burke VA dentist for these.

Crooked or overlapping teeth: Since they have areas that are harder to reach, plaque is more likely to build up.

Periodontitis As An Offshoot Of Gingivitis

This is one point that you should understand about these two oral diseases. When gingivitis is left untreated, it will evolve into periodontitis. The inflammation of the gums will get worse, to the extent that even the bone holding the teeth will be affected.

Treatment Options

Treating gingivitis is easier than addressing periodontitis. For one thing, periodontitis is a chronic disease which means that it needs to be monitored, and treated for a long time.

Both diseases, however, require almost the same procedures. Cleaning, which involves teeth scaling and planing, is usually the first step for treating both gingivitis and periodontitis. Medications are also prescribed and, if worse comes to worst, some surgery, such as flap surgery, and bone and tissue grafts, will be recommended as well.

Now that you have all these things cleared up, there is one thing for you to remember. If you want to prevent gingivitis and periodontitis, you need to keep up with your oral hygiene. Brushing and flossing your teeth regularly and properly, as well as, visiting your dentist are basic things you can do to prevent these gum diseases.