Oral health is an essential and integral component of health throughout life. No one can be truly healthy unless he or she is free from the burden of oral and craniofacial diseases and conditions. Millions of people experience dental caries, periodontal diseases, and cleft lip and cleft palate, resulting in needless pain and suffering; difficulty in speaking, chewing, and swallowing; increased costs of care; loss of self-esteem; decreased economic productivity through lost work and school days; and, in extreme cases, death. Further, oral and pharyngeal cancers, which primarily affect adults over age 55 years, result in significant illnesses and disfigurement associated with treatment, substantial cost, and more than 8,000 deaths annually.

Oral refers to the mouth, which includes the teeth, gums, and supporting tissues. It is easy to take your oral health for granted, but it is key to living each day comfortably. These tissues allow you to speak, smile, sigh, kiss, smell, taste, chew, swallow, and cry. They also let you show a world of feelings through expressions. Taking good care of these tissues can prevent disease in them and throughout your body.

Oral health means more than just an attractive smile. Poor oral health and untreated oral diseases and conditions can have a significant impact on quality of life. And in many cases, the condition of the mouth mirrors the condition of the body as a whole. Recent reports indicate a relationship between periodontal (gum) disease and stroke, heart disease, and pre-term low-birth-weight babies. Likewise, more than 90 percent of all systemic diseases have oral manifestations, meaning your dentist may be the first health care provider to diagnose a health problem.

Recent reports show that infections in the mouth can affect major organs. One example is bacterial endocarditis, a condition in which the lining of the heart and heart valves become inflamed. Poor mouth care also can contribute to oral cancer, which now takes more lives annually than cervical or skin cancer.
In addition, poor oral health affects the digestive process, which begins with physical and chemical activities in the mouth. Problems here can lead to intestinal failure, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and other problems.

Having healthy gums and teeth is not just about looking good. It's also about staying healthy.

Unhealthy gums and teeth can cause painful infections, tooth loss and difficulty eating and speaking. These can lead to nutritional and digestive problems, a low self-image and social isolation. Poor oral health also puts seniors at greater risk for developing, or making worse, serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, pneumonia and diabetes

Healthy gums

Healthy teeth and gums are maintained by daily plaque removal from all surfaces of the tooth (through tooth brushing and interdental cleaning)

Healthy gums are characterized by the following features

• Coral pink colour, (normal variations in colour depend on race and complexion).
• Consistency:- Firm, resilient tissues
• Orange-peel' texture (known as stippling).
• Shape that follows the contour of the teeth and forms a scalloped edge.
• No areas of redness, swelling or inflammation.
• No bleeding during daily plaque removal.
• No discomfort( pain, tenderness).

Types of gum disease

Gingival diseases

Gingival diseases can be divided into 2 groups

• Plaque-induced gingival diseases associated with plaque &can be modified by systemic factors, medications, malnutrition.
• Non-plaque induced gingival lesions [ Bacterial , viral, fungal, genetic, manifestations of systemic conditions, allergic reactions, traumatic, foreign body reactions].
  Gum disease is a common dental problem that may result in tooth loss. Gingivitis and Periodontitis are the most common types of adult gum disease.

Gingivitis

Gingivitis is inflammation of the gum tissue bleed easily and appear puffy, soft and swollen.. The swollen gums is due to a plaque or calculus (tartar) buildup along the gumline. Blood on the toothbrush or dental floss is one of the earliest and most common signs of gingivitis. .The good news about gingivitis is that it is preventable and reversible. On the other hand, if oral hygiene habits are poor, gingivitis may progress in periodontitis.
(Chronic Generalized diffused Gingivitis

What Is Gum Disease ?

Gum disease is also known as periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease is an infection of the tissues and bone that support the teeth, which can teeth to become loose or fall out.
Brushing and flossing every day - and regular trips to the dentist are so important.
Some may inherit this tendency from their parents.
The snacks / junk food you eat also can put you at risk of developing gum disease. You probably know that sugar is bad for your teeth, but you may not know that starchy foods like fries also feed the acids that eat into your tooth enamel.
Running yourself down with a lousy diet, too little sleep, and too much stress leaves you more vulnerable to infection anywhere in the body, including your gums.
Girls have a higher risk of gum disease than guys. Increases in female sex hormones during puberty can aggravate inflammation because of plaque.
For severe and early gum problems, though, the real bad guy is tobacco. Not only does smoking lead to bad breath and stained, yellowed teeth but recent research also shows that smoking is a leading cause of gum disease.

How It Progresses ?

Gum disease progresses in stages.

• If plaque from teeth and gums isn't removed by good daily dental care, over time it will harden into a crust called calculus or tartar.
• Once tartar forms, it starts to destroy gum tissue, causing gums to bleed and pull away from the teeth. This is known as periodontitis , a more advanced form of gum disease.
• With periodontitis, gums become weakened and form pockets around the base of teeth. Bacteria pool in these pockets, causing further destruction of the gums. As periodontitis spreads, it damages deeper gum tissue and can eventually spread to areas of the jawbone that support the teeth. This can cause teeth to become loose and fall out. Though periodontitis is rare in teens, it can happen. If it's not treated, it can cause real trouble for your teeth.
• Teens can get gum disease too, and it can cause problems from the simply embarrassing (like bad breath) to the serious - like pain and tooth loss (which is both embarrassing and serious!).

Periodontis

I) Types of Periodontal Disease

There are many forms of periodontal disease. The most common ones include the following.

a) Gingivitis

Gingivitis is the mildest form of periodontal disease. It causes the gums to become red, swollen, and bleed easily. There is usually little or no discomfort at this stage. Gingivitis is reversible with professional treatment and good at home oral care.

b) Aggressive Periodontitis

A form of periodontitis that occurs in patients who are otherwise clinically healthy. Common features include rapid attachment loss and bone destruction and familial aggregation.

c) Chronic Periodontitis

A form of periodontal disease resulting in inflammation within the supporting tissues of the teeth, progressive attachment and bone loss and is characterized by pocket formation and/or recession of the gingiva. It is recognized as the most frequently occurring form of periodontitis. It is prevalent in adults, but can occur at any age. Progression of attachment loss usually occurs slowly, but periods of rapid progression can occur.

d) Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Diseases

Periodontititis, often with onset at a young age, associated with one of several systemic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease.

e) Necrotizing Periodontal Diseases

An infection characterized by necrosis of gingival tissues, periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. These lesions are most commonly observed in individuals with systemic conditions including, but not limited to,HIV infection, malnutrition and immunosuppression.

More Details

Dental Science

   Your Childs Teeth

   General

   Periodontities

   Orthodontics

   Endodontics