Learn About - Illinois Healthy Gum

Bleeding Gums

If you have bleeding gums, you may have periodontal disease. We're learning more about this common infection all the time. Below are some of the latest findings. It should help you understand why it's so important that you take action with your periodontist to eliminate periodontal disease, the sooner the better.

Some patients think swollen gums aren't as critical as tooth decay, but that's just not so. Periodontal disease begins as a minor infection and, if it doesn't show signs of stabilizing, is bound to get worse. Untreated, it can eventually result in tooth loss.

Type I periodontitis (gingivitis) consists of tender gums and a little bacteria-filled pocket between your tooth and gum. The disease is very treatable at this point. But if the infected pockets are allowed to enlarge, the inflammation extends to the bone beneath, which begins to erode.

There's another reason to take periodontal disease seriously. The Journal of the American Dental Association recently reported on a study of nonsmokers. Researchers found that periodontal disease was a stronger risk factor for heart disease than such typical symptoms as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Also, periodontitis in pregnant mothers has been linked to premature and low birth-weight babies.

Your periodontist's concerns for your health don't stop with your teeth. That's why it's important, if you're suffering from gingivitis, that you schedule an appointment and get it treated. When you do, make sure you let your dentist know if you are also being treated for heart disease by your medical doctor.

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Receding Gums Fixed With Periodontal Procedures

Not even the most beautiful teeth can look attractive if healthy and pleasing-looking gums do not surround them. That's because the gums frame the teeth like a picture frame frames a picture. To have a pleasing smile, the shape, color, and texture of the gums are just as important as that of the teeth they frame. Although tooth development, periodontal disease, trauma, or tooth loss can create esthetic gum deformities like receding gums, modern periodontal procedures can give individuals a smile to smile about.

Common Cosmetic Gum Problems

Unhealthy Gums

As a result of periodontal disease, a person may have red, shiny, or swollen gums. If an individual has gingivitis or periodontitis, the gums have to be periodontally treated prior to cosmetic dental procedures.

"Gummy Smile"

Teeth that appear too short may be normal-sized teeth hiding under too much gum. This can be the result of normal tooth development, or the use of certain medications that may cause gums to overgrow. Either way, a crown lengthening (see article "Crown Lengthening") procedure can help reveal the normal tooth structure.

Recession

If the teeth appear to be too long or if the root surfaces are exposed, it may be due to receding gums (see article "Recession"). Soft tissue grafting (see article "Soft Tissue Grafts") is very successful in correcting this problem.

Uneven Gum Margins

If the gum margins appear to be higher on some teeth and lower on others, this may be due to receding gums, altered eruption, or gum defects that resulted from tooth loss. The treatment of uneven gum margins may require crown lengthening, soft tissue grafting, ridge augmentation or a combination of these procedures.

Gum Indentations

After a tooth is lost, the bone that encased it disintegrates and the gum around it may collapse, creating an indentation where the tooth used to be. Ridge augmentation procedures can help correct this problem.

Uneven Pigmentation

Changes in the color of the gums may be part of normal gum development, or the result of scarring. Soft tissue grafts can predictably correct this problem.

Spaces In Between the Teeth

Periodontal disease can result in spaces in between the teeth that may appear like black triangles. These spaces can be very difficult to treat. They can be made less unattractive by a combination of procedures that include orthodontics (braces), crowns (caps), and/or periodontal (gum) surgery. The best way to avoid these spaces is to seek periodontal treatment in its early stages.

Missing Teeth

One or more missing teeth can be predictably replaced with the aid of dental implants. Dental implants can look and feel like natural teeth.

Changes in the appearance of the gums like receding gums can occur as a result of normal tooth development, periodontal disease, trauma, or tooth loss. By working with a restorative dentist who has expertise in cosmetic dentistry and through the aid of modern periodontal techniques, individuals can design a smile that is both aesthetic and youthful in appearance.

By Laura Minsk, DMD