Gum Disease Bacteria Alert! Where to Live?
If you were a Gum Disease causing bacteria, whose mouth would you live in?
Generalized slight to moderate gum disease or gingivitis
Severe periodontal disease and gingivitils. Note the extensive build up of tartar on the posterior teeth.
Well, that depends! If you were a bacteria that causes gum disease, tooth decay, or periodontal disease and your goal was to live undisturbed as long as possible, you might want to live in one of the areas shown here. You would live. eat, proliferate (multiply in that way bacteria do), and cause destruction depending on your ability to do these things.
If you selected for your home an area of existing gum disease or periodontal disease, you may be able to live out your days happily causing destruction and your human host might have difficulty getting rid of you. Good for you, bad for the human. In the presence of gum disease, there is often pocketing which means space between the top of the tissue and the place under the gums where the tissue attaches. The best tooth brusheres and flossers can get bacteria out from under the gums about 3 or 4 millimeters maximum. If the pocketing is deeper that that, bacteria and debris are left under the gums. The process of gum disease continues and the pockets get worse, gum disease gets more advanced, and this may lead to permanent loss of bone around the teeth.
Severe gum disease and periodontal disease!
Severe gum disease and periodontal disease!
Tissue that is red, inflamed, bleeds with brushing and flossing is infected with bacteria and called gum disease. It also smells bad and can affect your ability to taste food! There are bacteria in all areas of your mouth and most of these guys are good. However, allowed to proliferate undisturbed, often isolated from areas accessible to toothbrushes and dental floss, the bacteria population changes. The ‘bad’ guys predominate and tissue destruction continues. That’s right, the good bacteria get pushed aside and more and more aggressive bacteria predominate. That is good for you, the ‘bad’ bacteria, but it is not good for your host, the human with gum disease and periodontal disease.
The photos above show severe gum disease and periodontal disease. Efforts to remove bacteria are complicated by extensive build up of tartar and severely crowded teeth! That means more work for you, the patient. You can keep crooked teeth healthy and you can eliminate gum disease with the help of our office or your dental professional and dental hygienist. Please don’t let the disease get this bad before you have it treated! The bad bacteria might not be happy about this, but your mouth, your gums, and your significant other will!