What Is Periodontal (Gum) Disease?

Periodontal literally means "around the tooth." Periodontal or gum diseases are serious infections affecting the tissues surrounding the teeth. These tissues include the gums and bone supporting the teeth. Gone unchecked, periodontal disease can result in tooth loss (See Stages of the Disease).

Periodontal disease is usually a slow, painless, progressive disease. Most adults with periodontal disease are unaware they have it. If diagnosed and treated early, however, the teeth can be saved.

What Causes Periodontal Disease?

The main cause of periodontal disease is the accumulation of plaque bacteria (see picture at left). Plaque is an often colorless mass of bacteria that sticks to teeth, crowns and bridges, and other tissues in the oral cavity. Plaque is constantly forming on the teeth.  Plaque irritates the gums, causing them to become red, tender, and swollen. 

If not removed daily, plaque becomes the hard material known as tartar or calculus. Calculus cannot be removed by brushing and flossing alone. A dentist, periodontist, or hygienist must remove it manually to stop the disease process.

With time, the tissues that attach the gums to the teeth are destroyed by plaque and its byproducts. The gums "pull away" from the teeth and pockets begin to form between the teeth and gums. Plaque and calculus continues to fill these pockets until eventually, the jawbone supporting the teeth is destroyed. 

Other factors can modify how your gums react to plaque or calculus, thereby altering your body's response to the disease and affecting your overall health: 

How Is It Treated?

Chances are that if you have been diagnosed with periodontal disease, periodontal surgery may be recommended. Surgery is indicated when non-surgical methods are not enough to stop the disease process. 

Depending on how advanced your particular case is, treatment may involve any of the following:

Visit our  Bone Regeneration page to read more about GTR and see some previously treated cases.

Periodontal Diseases in the US Population

The latest research shows that 92 % of us have calculus (tartar) in our mouths, and 3 out of every 4 has calculus beneath the gums, where it causes the most severe damage. Over 1/2 of the adults over the age of 35 are already in the early stages of periodontal disease. In fact, periodontal disease is the primary cause of tooth loss after the age of 35.

        -Statistics taken from:     Oliver, Brown and Loe, Journal of Periodontology, 1998   

                                                Albandar et al, 1999, Journal of Periodontology, 1999 

What You Can Do...

Periodontal health begins at home. Together with the state-of-the-art treatment methods available today, you can be confident your teeth can be saved. But what can YOU do? Here are some tips for maintaining periodontal health at home:

Your dentist is the first line of defense and in the best position to detect the early signs of periodontal disease.

If you have any further questions regarding periodontal therapy, any of the doctors or staff at Advanced Periodontics of Texas can address all of your concerns.

The objective of periodontal therapy is to prevent tooth loss. However, if you have already lost one or more teeth due to gum disease, please see our section on implants - a permanent, conservative tooth replacement alternative.

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