Elmhurst Dentist Explains How Untreated Periodontal Disease Escalates

Written by Dr. Scharfenberg on Apr 22, 2014

Periodontal disease is a common and persistent problem for many adult dental patients. Proper dental treatment, however, can help you reclaim and restore your smile after dental infection. Our Elmhurst dentist office provides the high-quality periodontal care that patients need in order to maintain oral health. Let’s learn more about why this treatment is so important for patients of many ages.

Your gum tissue is vitally important to the health of your overall smile. When your gum tissue becomes infected by harmful oral bacteria, it loses its strength and resiliency. In the earliest stages of gum disease—when your gum tissue has just recently become infected—it is relatively simple to treat periodontal disease. Most patients are able to reclaim their healthy smiles by recommitting to rigorous at-home oral hygiene routines and seeing our dentist for regularly scheduled professional cleanings.

As gum disease progresses untreated, however, it becomes more and more severe. Periodontal disease that begins in the gum tissue will spread….

· To infect dental roots—leading to tooth loss

· To infect bone tissue and cause bone tissue deterioration

Both of these things undermine the overall structure and the integrity of your smile. In order to restore the smile after advanced periodontal disease, some patients even require bone grafts and replacement teeth.

The best plan is to stop periodontal disease from escalating in the first place. The first thing that you can do is to maintain a semi-annual schedule of professional dental cleanings. Then, make sure you are flossing, along with brushing, every single day.

Our Elmhurst dentist office has more recommendations for you on how to keep your smile as healthy as possible. Give our dental team a call, or contact us through the inquiry page on our website, and we will get you started on your way to a healthy smile!