Many people have gum disease and don't even realize it. It's a silent, insidious disease that destroys the tissues that attach your teeth to your jawbone. Sometimes, you may not even be aware something is wrong until your teeth begin to get loose, and at that point, it may be impossible to save them.
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Here's a diagram showing healthy gum tissue on the left, and periodontal disease, or gum disease, on the right. As you can see, from the outside, the two sides of the teeth look very similar. But there are serious differences. Notice the loss of bone support both on the side of the tooth and between the roots. When enough bone is lost, the tooth will become loose and may fall out.
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Gum Disease Treatment
The key ingredient to treating gum disease is keeping the teeth clean. With moderate to advanced forms of gum disease, this cleaning may need to be fairly aggressive, and may require the use of local anesthetic. We call this a deep cleaning, or scaling and root planing.
Effectiver treatment of gum disease also requires vigilance at home. Essential dental habits such as flossing take on an added importance once you are committed to successfully treating your periodontitis.
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