Dental disease during pregnancy Many mothers have experienced gum
disease, dental pain and/or tooth extraction during
or shortly after their pregnancy. This is often seen
as being a "normal" side effect of being pregnant. However,
dental disease, which is an infection of the teeth and/or
gums, is not "normal" for any patient.
There are three basic events that happen during pregnancy
which make the patient more susceptible to dental disease.
First, hormonal changes may make the gums more susceptible
to gum disease.
Second, pregnant women tend to eat smaller, more frequent
meals, exposing their teeth and gums to sugars and acids
more often.
Third, cravings for "junk foods" and inadequate oral
hygiene pose an increased threat to the teeth and gums.
Pregnant women should be advised to schedule a dental
evaluation and receive preventive dental care. Personalized
oral hygiene instruction should also be given to fight
disease and promote overall good health for the mother
and her baby.
Gum disease
infects almost 80 percent of adults The American Dental Association
says that over 75-80% of all adults have or will have
some form of gum disease.
Gum disease, or more correctly called "periodontal disease",
is a bacterial infection in the gums and supporting
structures of the teeth. It can be divided into several
categories.
The first stage is called "gingivitis" and is characterized
by gum tissue that is red, puffy, and bleeds easily
when touched with a toothbrush, floss or dental instrument.
The second, third, and fourth stages are initial, moderate,
and advanced "periodontal disease", respectively. These
stages are different from gingivitis because the infection
has destroyed the bone supporting the teeth, causing
eventual tooth loss. The treatment is more involved
at these stages, usually consisting of a special cleaning
with anesthesia and sometimes gum surgery.
Infections
in joint replacements can be instigated by severe gum
disease
A thorough dental examination for presence of tooth
and gum infection is recommended prior to joint replacement.
Periodontal disease is a commonly occurring oral infection
of the adult population (80% of adults are affected)
destroying the bony support of the teeth. This infection
slowly progresses over the lifetime of the patient and
is often manifested in the advanced stage in the senior
population.
Because of the lack of any discomfort to the patient
until total loss of bony support to the teeth, many
adults are unaware that they have this infection. However,
the bacteria from this bone destroying disease, especially
in the more advanced cases, has been attributed to possible
infection of joint replacements.
Candidates for joint replacements who have not been
seen by a dentist in over a year should be considered
for a thorough dental evaluation of their teeth and
gums before surgery.
Depending on the severity of the infection, treatment
of gum infections and tooth abscesses may take from
two weeks to two months before the patient reaches adequate
health before surgery.
If you have any questions about infection in joint replacements,
please call our office.
Periodontal
gum disease-silent and deadly Periodontal disease can go on for
years without pain and without detection unless specific
examination procedures are performed. Visual oral examination
by itself (even by a dentist) will not reliably detect
periodontal disease until it has reached an advanced
stage.
Early detection and adequate diagnosis require measurement
of pockets (the crevice between the tooth and gum) with
a periodontal probe. Effective prevention and treatment
is available, but the damage caused as the disease progresses
is irreversible.Ê
Early detection and treatment is critical to prevent
tooth loss and disfigurement. Although the procedure
is simple, painless and requires only a few minutes,
millions of American adults have never had it done.
Signs of periodontal disease - bleeding gums, redness
of gum tissue, swelling of gums around the teeth, breath
odor, receding gums, mobility of teeth.
Some
dental problems are easy to see! One of the easiest problems to spot
is a build-up of plaque. Plaque is the soft, sticky
layer of bacteria, which is constantly forming on the
teeth. Usually it is invisible to the naked eye, but
when a person is not brushing adequately, it can build
up to where it appears to be a thick whitish coating
on the teeth at the gum line. If not removed, it can
lead to gum disease.
Another potential problem, which is easy to spot, is
missing teeth. Many patients assume that if they are
still able to eat, they are O.K.
But very often, losing just one tooth can lead to the
loss of support, and teeth begin to drift into the empty
space, causing a change in the bite. It also forces
the remaining teeth to carry an additional load, sometimes
past their ability to adapt. In most cases, when even
one tooth is lost, the remaining teeth suffer and are
more likely to be lost as well.
Our focus is in the treatment of problems such as these.
Call our office for the care you need.
back to top Gum
and bone disease that goes undetected Prevention is an overused word in
our vocabulary but we all know it works. You see it
in what you do every day. Who wouldn't rather prevent
a crisis than manage one?
Awareness of gum and underlying bone disease is very
low. Only 50% of the population visits a dentist on
a regular basis. Of that 50%, 80% have some degree of
gum and bone disease. It is an epidemic. Were this any
other disease, we would be calling on the CDC for immediate
action!
