The post Periodontal Gum Disease in Women appeared first on Lovebites Dental.

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Nearly half of Americans have gum disease and it’s the leading cause of tooth loss. With it being so predominant, it’s a wonder why more people don’t take it seriously. At Irresistible Smiles, we want to help more people get the care they need to prevent and treat gum disease before it causes serious and irreversible damage. Learn everything you need to know about gum disease so you can protect yourself and your family.

What is Gum Disease?

Gum disease, or periodontal disease, is inflammation and infection of the gums and bone that support and surround the teeth. Periodontal disease is most common in adults. Nearly 47.2% of adults over age 30 have gum disease and 70.1% of adults 70 or older have some form of periodontal disease. Gum disease affects men more than women, those who live below the poverty level, those with less than a high school diploma, and those who smoke more than others.

Symptoms of Gum Disease

One of the best ways to avoid gum disease is to recognize the symptoms early on. Watch for the following symptoms and get care if you have any.

• Puffy, swollen gums
• Bleeding gums
• Bright red, purple, or dusky red gums
• Tender gums
• Spitting out blood when brushing or flossing
• Bad breath

• Pus between gums and teeth
• Painful chewing
• Spaces developing between teeth
• Receding gums
• Change in bite

Causes of Gum Disease

Periodontal disease usually starts due to plaque build up along the gum line. This can happen when teeth are not properly cleaned through brushing and flossing and regular professional dental cleanings. As the plaque hardens on the teeth, it turns into tartar which is significantly more difficult to remove than plaque. The longer plaque and tartar rest on your teeth, the more damage they can produce. Only your San Diego dentist can remove tartar from your teeth with a professional dental cleaning. If it’s not removed, the bacteria can affect your gums and cause gum disease to form.

Risk Factors of Gum Disease

You’re at a higher risk for gum disease if any of the following risk factors apply to you.

• Poor oral health
• Chewing tobacco
• Smoking
• Obesity
• Recreational drug use including vaping or marijuana
• Hormonal changes including pregnancy or menopause

• Genetics
• Inadequate nutrition
• Conditions that caused decreased immunity
• Diabetes
• Crohn’s Disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis

The Stages of Gum Disease

Gum disease has several different stages. Each stage affects your oral and overall health differently.

Gingivitis

Gingivitis is the earliest stage of gum disease and is very treatable. During the first stage of gum disease, the bacteria only affects your gum’s soft tissue. It may not cause any discomfort and usually only mild symptoms such as swollen or bleeding gums, receding gums, bad breath, and spaces between the teeth. Usually, gingivitis can go away with a deep cleaning (root planing and scaling) and more effective oral hygiene habits at home. We may also recommend more frequent dental cleanings.

Early Periodontitis

Without treatment of gingivitis, gum disease will progress to early periodontitis. During this stage, the disease will progress past affecting the gums and also affect the bone structure of teeth. The spaces between teeth will grow larger and form pockets where bacteria, plaque, and food will begin to collect. These pockets will also lead to infection which can damage the surrounding bone.

Moderate Periodontitis

Without treatment, early periodontitis will advance to moderate periodontitis where severe inflammation begins to spread. Patients can expect to experience more discomfort as they lose more bone, receding gums, and loose teeth.

Advanced Periodontitis

The last stage of periodontal disease is advanced periodontitis. At this stage, painful abscesses will form. Teeth will become even looser and potentially even fall out and your gums will look very shrunken. Without treatment, tooth loss is inevitable.

What Happens Without Gum Disease Treatment

Without gum disease treatment, you can experience an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, pregnancy complications, diabetes, and various cancers.

Additionally, you can lose your teeth and bone density which can also affect your facial appearance.

Gum Disease and COVID-19

The last thing you should know about gum disease is its correlation to COVID-19 complications. A study conducted in Qatar found that those who had gum disease and contracted COVID-19 had a higher chance of severe complications including the need for intensive care, intubation, and death.

Get Gum Disease Prevention and Treatment in San Diego

To reduce the possibility of severe health complications related to gum disease, we highly recommend seeking preventive treatment for gum disease as well as gum disease treatment if you believe you have it. Preventing gum disease is as easy as brushing and flossing regularly, visiting the dentist twice per year for cleanings, not smoking, and eating less sugary starchy foods.

If you do have gum disease, Dr. Safarian will recommend the best treatment options to help optimize your oral and overall health. We offer a full range of gum disease treatments as well as restorative dentistry treatments to reverse the effects of gum disease. Please call (619) 656-6785 today to book an appointment.

The post Everything You Need To Know About Gum Disease appeared first on Lovebites Dental.

Periodontal surgery is an advanced treatment often prescribed for severe cases of periodontal gum disease. Did you know there are three different types of periodontal surgery? Periodontal surgery comprises several sophisticated procedures. The three primary classifications are gingival flap surgery, mucogingival surgery, and osseous surgery.

Discover the different types of gum surgery we offer at our dental practice.

1. Gingival Flap Surgery

The first type of periodontal surgery is gingival flap surgery, which most patients pertain to as gum lift surgery. Gum lift surgery recontours the gums in order to improve the appearance of the smile. It includes gingivoplasty and gingivectomy. Dentists often refer to these procedures interchangeably because they are basically the same procedure – but with different objectives.

With a gingivoplasty, we recontour the gum tissue to eliminate diseased soft tissue from the wall of a periodontal pocket. Gingivectomy, on the other hand, is done to re-contour gingiva that has lost its normal form. It involves removal not just of the diseased tissue, but the entire portion of the gum tissue. We often perform this procedure to correct a gummy smile, remove excess tissue from enlarged gums (i.e. gingival hyperplasia), or lengthen the crown of a tooth that will receive a restoration.

2. Mucogingival Surgery

Mucogingival surgery is a more complicated type of periodontal surgery. Dentists typically use this type of surgery for advanced periodontal gum disease, particularly when denuded root surfaces need coverage. We also recommend this procedure for removable denture patients mainly to deepen the oral vestibule and relocate free. The oral vestibule is the space bounded by the lip/cheeks and teeth. While frena (singular: frenum) is a small band of tissue in the lip and cheek area. A good example would be the maxillary labial frenum found underneath your upper lip. Above where the two upper central incisors meet. Increasing the depth of the oral vestibule will help improve retention of the removable denture. Relocating frena prevents dislodgement of the prosthesis.

Mucogingival is further divided into several techniques. These include the apically-repositioned flap, replaced flap, laterally-repositioned flap, free gingival graft, and frenum repositioning.

3. Osseous Surgery

Lastly, osseous surgery, like mucogingival surgery, is a form of advanced periodontal disease treatment that focuses on the management of the destruction caused by periodontal gum disease. As the name suggests, it involves the manipulation of the bone tissue, particularly reshaping or restoring its ideal form. This is based on the assumption that resolution of periodontal gum disease will occur if the bone and gums have the same contour.

Osseous surgery also has subtypes, namely bone reshaping/resectioning procedures and bone stimulative procedures. Bone reshaping procedures include osteotomy and ostectomy correct bone defects and create normal bone contours. Osteotomy reshapes without the need to remove the bone. On the other hand, ostectomy requires the removal of some bone.

Bone stimulative surgeries, meanwhile, include bone grafts and implantation procedures. They help stimulate the body’s natural healing process to repair bone defects. They also bring the bone back to its normal state.

An Alternative To Periodontal Surgery: Chao Pinhole Surgery Technique

If you only have receding gums, you have more than one periodontal surgery treatment option available to you. At Irresistible Smiles, we offer an alternative surgery known as Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique. The unique technique is an alternative method for bone and tissue grafts and pocket reduction. The procedure is minimally invasive and uses a small needle to prick a hole and a special instrument to move the gum tissue. It provides similar results as a gum graft but without the need for sutures, lengthy recovery, or pain.

Schedule a consultation to find out if this alternative treatment is right for you.

Am I a Candidate for Periodontal Surgery?

Not everyone requires gum surgery. Dentists usually only recommend gum surgery in the case of severe periodontal disease or to enhance smile aesthetics. Common reasons patients might need periodontal surgery include the following symptoms:

• Receding gums
• Gummy smile
• Swollen, bleeding, or red gums
• Deep pockets between the teeth and gums
• Loose teeth
• Pain when chewing
• Bad breath

Getting periodontal surgery can help restore your gums back to health and prevent gum disease from spreading the infection to the rest of your body. Without gum disease treatment, the disease can result in harmful health consequences, in men and periodontal gum disease in women.

Restoring your gums back to health can prevent tooth loss and even help you become a good candidate for dental implants. If you’re getting periodontal surgery for aesthetic reasons, you can look forward to increased confidence in your smile!

Get Periodontal Surgery in San Diego

Periodontal surgery, like any other dental surgical procedure, must be performed by a dentist. Our dentists have completed advanced training in periodontal surgery to ensure our patients achieve the best results possible. If you need periodontal surgery, make sure to go only to a trusted dentist like Dr. Safarian who has lots of experience, particularly in gum lift surgeries.

Give our San Diego dentist a call to book an appointment today by calling (619) 656-6785.

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Periodontal surgery pertains to an advanced periodontal disease treatment performed to regenerate and restore the normal form, contour, and function of periodontal structures that were damaged or lost due to periodontal gum disease.

The procedure is likewise considered a cosmetic dental procedure because it may also help improve the appearance of the patient’s smile. An understanding of periodontal surgery is important to achieve treatment success, and that’s what we will help you with.

In this article is an overview of the procedure – what it designed to do, how it is done, who it is for, what patients can expect after, and much more.

Why Periodontal Surgery is Done

Periodontal surgery is often done in patients with periodontitis. Periodontitis is an advanced form of periodontal gum disease characterized by the destruction of the supporting apparatus of the teeth.

Who Can Undergo Periodontal Surgery

Periodontal surgery is ideal for patients who are in good general health. As your dentist take your full medical history, be sure to mention all your health problems, allergy, and medications or supplements you’re taking if any.

Don’t hold back on information, so your dentist will know exactly whether or not it is advisable for you to undergo the procedure.

Usually, contraindications for the periodontal surgery include uncontrolled systemic conditions (i.e. diabetes, cardiovascular disease, immunodeficiency problems), smoking, blood thinning medications, and even uncontrolled periodontal disease. Uncontrolled systemic conditions and smoking cause problems in healing, while blood thinners put the patient at risk for excessive bleeding.

Uncontrolled periodontal gum disease, meanwhile, must be resolved first in order to have a relatively cleaner and more visible operative field. In addition, reduced inflammation makes the gum tissue to firmer and easier to incise and work on.

Types of Periodontal Surgery

Periodontal surgery is classified into three different categories – gingival surgery, mucogingival surgery, and osseous surgery. Gingival surgery, which most patients probably know as gum lift surgery, includes gingivectomy.

And gingivoplasty both of which are done to recontour the gum tissue and correct a gummy smile. These two are often performed together because they are practically the same. Mucogingival surgery, on the other hand, is done to cover tooth roots that were exposed due to gum recession.

Lastly, osseous surgery is done to correct bone defects that resulted from severe forms of periodontal gum disease. It reshapes the bone and restores it to its ideal form.

What to Expect After Periodontal Surgery

After the operation, you will feel some mild to moderate discomfort that lasts for about a day or two. This is can be managed by ibuprofen and other mild analgesics.

Antibiotics and antibacterial mouth rinses may also be recommended.  However, if the sensitivity persists and/or becomes intolerable, consult your dentist. He or she may suggest application of fluoride varnish.

The risks mentioned above will be discussed to you by your dentist before periodontal surgery.

Alternatives to Periodontal Surgery

Periodontal surgery is often the last resort for treating advanced cases of periodontal gum disease. That is when the standard and less invasive non-surgical root planning is inadequate or has failed to produce the expected outcome.

Whether or not surgery is indicated depends on factors such as the type of periodontal gum disease you have and the extent of the destruction.

Rather, it paves way for other treatment to produce more favorable outcomes in the long run. There is still a tendency for the disease to recur, especially in susceptible individuals.

The goal of the surgery is to make the teeth stay in your mouth for as long as possible. And one way to ensure that you will achieve such a goal is to find a dentist that you can trust just like Dr. Safarian.

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From our previous article, you’ve learned that predisposing factors are plaque-retentive factors found in the mouth. They are physical or mechanical that, aside from encouraging plaque accumulation, also renders plaque removal more difficult. In this article, we will discuss the most common predisposing factors one by one.

Calcular Deposits:

Calcular deposits are the most common predisposing factor. It has a hard, porous, and irregular surface where plaque can accumulate easily. Removal of calculus deposits will be of great help in the prevention and treatment of periodontal gum disease.

Irregularities on Tooth Surface:

These include cavitations caused by tooth decay, non-decay cavitations, and developmental abnormalities.  Irregularities located in-between the teeth and near the gum line are the ones that contribute the most to the development of periodontal Gum disease. Non-decay cavitations, or what dentists call non-carious lesions, include abrasion, a fraction, and erosion. Abrasion pertains to loss of tooth structure by mechanical causes, usually incorrect and vigorous tooth brushing.

Abfraction, meanwhile, is a loss of tooth structure near the gum line due to flexure of the tooth. It is often related to bruxism, and it gets worse when combined with incorrect tooth brushing techniques.

With regards to developmental irregularities, the most common is the so-called enamel pearls. These are globules of enamel that form in the root area, more commonly in-between the roots of molars. They are about the size of a pinhead.

Tooth Malpositions:

Tooth malpositions can present as crowding, spacing, rotations, tipping, and drifting. All of these complicate oral hygiene, leading to increased plaque accumulation. Thus, dentists prescribe orthodontic treatment to correct the malposition and make oral hygiene much more effective. They may also recommend the use of adjuncts like interdental brushes, single-tufted brushes, and wood sticks to name a few.

Oral Appliances:

Much like tooth malpositions, the oral appliance also promotes the development of periodontal disease by making oral hygiene more difficult. Such appliances include partial dentures, dental braces, and retainers. In partial dentures, fixed bridges are more likely to encourage plaque accumulation because they are much more difficult to clean compared to their removable counterparts.

Dental braces and retainers are challenging to clean as well. That is why adjuncts are also recommended for those who have any oral appliance in their mouth. Individuals with dental braces, in particular, are advised not to delay or miss an appointment with their orthodontist.

Erupting Wisdom Teeth:

Erupting third molars are difficult to reach given their position at the back of the mouth. If they are partially-erupted and the orientation is not upright like other teeth are, the problem is even worse. Plaque accumulation often leads to a condition called pericoronitis, where the gum tissue overlying the partially-erupted tooth, also known as operculum, gets inflamed. To get rid of it, a procedure called operculectomy is required. It is a minor surgery that involves removal of the operculum. Another treatment option, which will be more effective as it gets rid of the root cause, is the extraction of the tooth itself.

Faulty Restorations:

Faulty restorations pertain to poorly-constructed or poorly-fabricated restorations. These restorations are commonly characterized by having overhangs, poor contours, and subgingival margins. An overhang is the extension of the restoration beyond the confines of the tooth. In other words, it pertains to the excess restorative material. More often than not, you can find it in-between teeth and at or near the gum line. The periodontal destruction caused by overhangs is a slow and painless process, causing an individual to be aware of it only when the destruction is extensive enough.

Poor contours, on the other hand, make the gum tissues less cleansable. Problematic contours may be over- or under contoured. Lastly, subgingival margins are margins placed below the gum line. These margins are difficult to reach, making plaque removal almost impossible.

As you can see, these predisposing factors have a huge role in the development of periodontal gum disease. Some of them may be addressed by your dentist, but most are up to you to take care of. By eliminating these factors, their harmful effects on the mouth, periodontal disease can be prevented or arrested.

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Now that you’ve learned about predisposing factors in detail, we will now move on and discuss two other equally-important factors that contribute to the development of Periodontal Gum Disease – risk and modifying factors. Again, these factors are systemic factors that are either a medical problem or a behavioral condition. They differ in the sense that a risk factor increases your chances of developing the disease while modifying factor hastens disease progression by affecting the body’s immune response.

A certain condition can both be a risk and a modifying factor, and that’s what we will focus on in this article. Diabetes and tobacco use will be excluded since their effects are discussed exclusively in separate articles.

Disorders that Affect Immunity:

Immune disorders contribute to Periodontal Gum Disease via any of these two ways. First is by exaggerating the body’s immune response to bacteria in plaque and second by impairing the response itself, making the individual at high risk for infection.

Disorders that affect immunity include immune depressive, gastrointestinal, metabolic (i.e. diabetes), hematologic (a.k.a. blood), and genetic disorders.

Stress:

Stress is not a disease itself, but rather a serious condition that could lead to health problems such as high blood pressure and cancer to name a few. Recently, it also has been found to be linked to Periodontal Gum Disease.

According to studies, stress depresses the body’s immune system, making it more difficult to fight off disease-causing organisms.

Medications:

Certain medications can impact periodontal health. These include birth control pills, calcium channel blockers, and antiepileptics to name a few. Birth control pills mess with periodontal tissues by exaggerating the body’s immune response to plaque, while calcium channel blockers and anti-epileptics cause gingival enlargement which makes plaque removal very difficult.

Malnutrition:

A diet that lacks in essential nutrients affects the health of the gums by compromising the body’s immune response. It can also worsen an existing periodontal problem. Vitamin C deficiency, otherwise known as scurvy, causes decreased collagen synthesis and poor wound healing.

In addition, studies have found that obesity increases one’s risk for periodontal disease. More can be learned about the association between these two in this article.

Endocrine Factors:

Endocrine conditions that could affect periodontal health are observed mostly in women. These are puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. All of them cause an increase in estrogen and progesterone levels.

Some studies also mention that these hormones can encourage the growth of bacteria that causes periodontal gum disease. Each one of these four endocrine-related conditions manifests as different periodontal problems.

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How it Impacts their overall health

The incidence of Periodontal Gum Disease tends to be higher in men than in women. According to the American Academy of Periodontology, more than 50% of men have some form of periodontal disease. While it is only about 38% for women. Such a difference could be due to the fact that men tend to have poorer oral hygiene and/or are less likely to pay a visit to their dentist. And be it for curative or preventive treatment. Or it could also be a result of habits like smoking which causes increased plaque and calculator deposits.

Achieving and maintaining periodontal health in men is of utmost importance, as it may influence their overall health. Listed and discussed below are some of the health conditions associated with Periodontal Gum Disease in men.

Cardiovascular Health:

Lots of studies have proven the connection between periodontal disease and cardiovascular health. Periodontal Gum Disease in San Diego may play a role in the development of cardiovascular disease. And particularly of the condition called infective endocarditis. Both periodontal disease and endocarditis are chronic inflammatory conditions. And it is suggested that inflammation is the connection between the two.

Prostate Health:

Periodontal Gum Disease is also linked to prostate health by the increased levels of PSA or Prostate-Specific Antigen. PSA is an enzyme normally synthesized and released in small amounts. The levels of this enzyme rise when the prostate becomes infected, inflamed, or cancerous.

According to research, men suffering from both periodontal disease and prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate) tend to have higher PSA levels compared to men who have either condition alone. This suggests the possible two-way connection between periodontal disease and prostate health.

Impotence:

Studies show that men with Periodontal Gum Disease, particularly those between ages 30 to 70 are more susceptible to developing impotence. The mechanism, according to researchers, is that the chronic inflammation associated with periodontal disease results. To damage of blood vessels all over the body, including those that supply the genitals.

Cancer:

Men who have or have had periodontal disease are said to be 14% more likely to develop cancer than those who don’t. The types of cancer associated with this oral health problem include pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, and blood cancers. The study involved more than 50,000 male participants aged 40 to 75 years old.

The researchers did a 16-year follow-up from 1986 and 2002 and found. That more than 200 of the participants developed pancreatic cancer. Thus, they came up with a conclusion. That men who have had periodontal disease have more than 60% chance of developing pancreatic cancer compared to men who have no history of this oral health problem.

How Periodontal Gum Disease Helpful

Take note, though, that while there is a statistical association between the two diseases, the direct cause-effect relationship between them is yet to be established.

If you are dealing with periodontal disease and it seems to be affecting your health already. Don’t hesitate to consult your dentist and physician about it.  But it is also advised that you do your part in improving your oral health by practicing good oral hygiene.

Brushing your teeth thoroughly at least twice a day, flossing, and regular professional cleaning will help minimize your risk for Periodontal Gum Disease.

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It has long been established that plaque is the most important causative factor in the development of periodontal gum disease. But plaque alone won’t wreak so much havoc in your mouth if it doesn’t have the following factors to aid it in doing so.

Listed below are the three major factors that contribute to one’s susceptibility, as well as to its progression.

Predisposing Factors:

The contributing factors for periodontal gum disease are either local or systemic. Predisposing factors are local factors found in the mouth. They pertain to physical structures or mechanical habitat that promote plaque accumulation and make plaque removal more difficult. These include cellular deposits, irregularities on the tooth surface, tooth malposition, erupting third molars, oral appliances, and poorly-fabricated and faulty restorations.

Risk Factors:

Risk factors and modifying factors, on the other hand, are systemic factors. A systemic factor is something that can either be a medical problem or a behavioral condition. The difference between a risk factor and a modifying factor is that the former is something that increases susceptibility to disease; meaning, the disease isn’t there yet but the risk factor increases your chances of developing such. Risk factors include diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, and tobacco use.

Tobacco use has been associated with a myriad of health problems including heart disease, lung problems, and even cancer. According to studies, it can also increase one’s risk for periodontal gum disease.

Modifying Factors:

To reiterate, modifying factors are also systemic factors like risk factors. However, this factor does not work to increase one’s chances of developing periodontal disease. Rather, the disease has already occurred and the modifying factor alters the progression of the disease by modifying the body’s response to the disease itself or to the treatment. Their effect is mainly on the body’s immune response.

Modifying factors tend to exaggerate immune response to the disease-causing bacteria, at the same time making the body more resistant to the treatment being rendered. A modifying factor can also be a risk factor and vice-versa. The best examples of such are diabetes and tobacco use.

Individuals with diabetes are more likely to develop gum disease because of their compromised immune system, which makes them susceptible to infections in general.

More About Periodontal Gum Disease in San Diego

Periodontal gum disease is actually considered as one of the many complications of diabetes. In addition to increasing susceptibility, diabetes also promotes disease progression through poor blood circulation and tissue healing. The relationship between diabetes and periodontal is a two-way street.

If there are multiple factors in one individual, then getting rid of even just one can dramatically reduce the chances from developing or progressing.

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An accurate diagnosis of the patient’s periodontal condition is of paramount importance in the subsequent management of the disease.

It is the first step towards the development of an appropriate treatment plan that when implemented, will lead to the resolution of the infection and restoration of the patient’s periodontal gum disease.

In this article, we will give you an overview of how dentists accurately diagnose your periodontal problem.

Medical and Dental History

The first most important thing in coming up with an accurate diagnosis is obtaining detailed information regarding the patient’s medical and dental history.

According to studies, Diagnosing periodontal gum disease affects and can be affected by a variety of systemic diseases and conditions. These include diabetes, heart disease, pregnancy, chronic stress, and smoking to name a few.

Dental history, on the other hand, will give your dentist an idea as to what must have contributed to the periodontal problem, how it will progress, and which of the treatment options may or may not suit the patient.

Periodontal Gum Disease  Tissue Inflammation

After history-taking, your dentist will now rely on a visual examination of your overall oral condition. This method will only assess whether or not the gum tissue is inflamed.

This assessment is done by examining the color (coral pink, red, or red-purple); consistency (firm or soft); and texture (stippled or smooth) of the gum tissue.

A healthy gum tissue is coral pink, firm, and stippled, while an inflamed one is red, soft, and smooth. Your dentist will inspect the gum tissue on the cheek side and tongue side of every tooth and compare it to what healthy gums should look like.

Plaque and Calculator Deposits

Periodontal disease is mainly caused by the accumulation of plaque in the gum line and in-between teeth. Plaque contains bacteria that can induce host response, resulting in the inflammation of the gum tissue. If left for a long time, it will eventually harden, forming what is known as calculus (a.k.a. tartar).

Calculus has a rough surface that further facilitates plaque accumulation. Plaque and calculator deposits can be detected via visual examination or through the use of plaque disclosing agents. Disclosing agents contain a dye which is absorbed by plaque, allowing them to be more easily seen by the dentist.

Bleeding on Probing (BOP) and Periodontal Pocket Depth (PPD)

Bleeding on probing and measuring periodontal pocket depths provide a more objective and detailed assessment of the patient’s existing periodontal condition.

BOP confirms the presence of inflammation, while PPD determines the extent of destruction. Both are measured using a special instrument called a periodontal probe, which has millimeter calibrations.

To measure PPD, your dentist will insert the probe into the groove between the gum tissue and the tooth. Normal PPD is 1-3mm, while more than 5mm is indicative of periodontitis.

Tooth Mobility

If periodontitis is suspected, your dentist will also assess the mobility of the involved teeth.

Mobility is usually a sign of bone loss. It is evaluated by pushing the tooth between two fingers or instrument handles and observing any movement.

This movement may be slight or severe (almost as though the tooth will pop out of its socket) depending on the amount and extent of bone loss.

Bone Loss

Periodontal Gum Disease that has been left untreated for a very long time results to bone loss, which your dentist can detect by taking dental x-rays.

Some dentist would take x-rays of the involved teeth only, while others prefer a full mouth series.

A full mouth series is a set of 18 x-rays that covers the entire dentition. It is recommended for cases where periodontitis seems to involve almost all of the patient’s teeth.

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