1. Can periodontal disease be cured?

Technically there is no one-time treatment that "cures" periodontal disease. A better word to use here maybe is "control". Once periodontal disease is diagnosed, you will need to deal with it the rest of your life. This means you will need to keep it under "control". This requires significant monitoring by a dentist at regular intervals and continued treatment. If this is done, it is possible that you can stop the periodontal disease progression over time.


2. What is gingivitis?

Gingivitis is general term meaning "inflammation of the gums". Almost everyone has some gingivitis in their mouth. It is caused by plaque, which is bacteria that touch up against the gums. The gums react to the bacteria and become irritated and slightly inflamed.


3. What is the cause of gum disease?

Gum disease is the same as Periodontal disease. Gum disease is caused by bacteria that gets down below the gum line between the tooth and gum and stays for a period of time. The bacteria produces acid which irritates the bone and where the gum attaches to the tooth. Your body recognizes the irritant and tries to protect you by moving the bone and gum attachment away from the irritant. This creates the bone loss or periodontal disease around the tooth.


4. What happens if gum disease is not treated?

If gum disease is not treated, the foundation of the teeth (what holds them in) gradually is lost. If the bone is lost, there a only a few situations where it can be brought back. Most of the time once it is gone it is gone forever. 70% of people who wear dentures got them because of too much bone loss around the teeth which makes the teeth sore to chew on and creates infection. Bone loss occurs at different rates for different people. You can have periodontal disease at almost any age, although it is more common in adults.


5. Once I have had periodontal disease, can I get it again?

Once again, if you get diagnosed with periodontal disease you will be dealing with it the rest of your life. It doesn t just "go away". Continual treatment and monitoring by a dentist is necessary for the rest of your life or you may lose some or all of your teeth eventually.