If you’ve never been diagnosed with gum disease, then the threat that it can pose can seem distant and not very immediately concerning. However, just because you haven’t been diagnosed doesn’t mean it isn’t a threat, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve attended a professional dental examination. Unfortunately, many people fail to realize that they have gum disease for that very reason, and by the time they are diagnosed, it has already affected several different aspects of their oral health.
1. The appearance and health of your gums
As the name implies, gum disease mainly affects your gums, or periodontal tissues, that surround your dental ridges and teeth roots. This tissue is important for several different reasons. For example, it’s the main barrier against harmful oral bacteria and your roots, and it helps provide some stability and structural integrity for your teeth as you bite, chew, speak, and more. Gum disease results when oral bacteria get under your gums and settle on your teeth roots, causing an infection in your gums that gradually grows more severe as time goes on.
2. The presence of your healthy teeth
Because your gums are important to the stability of your teeth, compromised gums can negatively impact that stability. In fact, the presence of severe gum disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss. When it progresses enough, gum disease can erode a significant portion of your periodontal tissues, and you may feel your teeth growing loose and shifting within their sockets. Fortunately, treating gum disease as soon as possible can help you control it before tooth loss becomes inevitable.
3. The integrity of your jawbone structure
In addition to eroding your periodontal tissues, another reason gum disease causes tooth loss is because it also erodes the supportive jawbone structure around your teeth. As the disease progresses, the erosion of your jawbone leaves increasingly less support for the teeth roots that rest within it. The sockets where the roots rest will no longer be able to hold your teeth securely. If you wait long enough, you may need to replace one or more teeth as part of your gum disease treatment.
Learn how mitigate the threat of gum disease
The threat of gum disease can be serious for many different aspects of your oral health. For more information, schedule a visit by calling Syosset Dental in Syosset, NY today at 516-433-2211 or 516-921-1678.
