The Dental Consequences

Introduction

75% of all adult tooth loss is due to periodontal disease. When your gums and bone are damaged by periodontal infection there is less support for your teeth. As this support diminishes, your teeth become loose. With further progression of the disease process, the teeth are ultimately lost. When your dentist or periodontist recommends periodontal treatment, it is important to get started right away.

Missing Teeth Must Be Replaced

When teeth are lost due to periodontal disease, it is necessary to replace them. Missing teeth create a negative “domino effect” in the structure and function of the mouth. The remaining teeth in the immediate area near the missing tooth/teeth begin to move. Adjacent teeth will often tilt over into the missing space. The remaining teeth directly above or below the missing tooth/teeth will shift vertically (eruption). The bone at the site of the missing teeth no longer receives any stimulation and dissipates over time. This process is similar to the osteoporosis and muscular atrophy that occurs in the bodies of astronauts as a consequence of prolonged exposure to zero gravity. Chewing function is reduced, often leading to a less healthy diet. Of course, smiles with teeth missing are not as attractive and can affect one’s confidence in social settings. Fortunately, there are several options for restoring your teeth.






In the past, when a patient was confronted with the loss of several teeth, dentures were customarily prescribed as the means to restore limited chewing function. As this was the only option for many years, patients came to believe that limitations of dentures were an inevitable part of life. Although many patients have learned to live, or rather, suffer with the consequences of dentures, today we have the benefit of wonderful advancements in implant dentistry that allow for natural feel and function in the resulting restoration. The following are several examples of the complications associated with wearing traditional dentures:

  1. Difficulty chewing or an inability to eat certain foods
  2. Reduced ability to feel and taste foods
  3. Dentures causing a lisp or clacking when speaking
  4. Having to remove them every night for soaking
  5. Pain or discomfort due to a poorly fitting denture
  6. Unnatural appearance, especially with metal clasps
  7. Self-consciousness and embarrassment in social settings
  8. Looking or feeling older (especially due to loss of bone structure in jaw)
  9. Damage to supporting teeth (partial dentures)
  10. Costly repeated replacement or reline of dentures

Loss of Vertical Facial Dimension

In cases where many teeth have been lost and the jaw bone is unsupported and not stimulated, the jaw structure becomes thinner and thinner. Without teeth or the appropriate thickness of a properly fitting denture, the face appears collapsed and is made to look older. As the bone continues to thin there is a significant increase in the risk of jaw fracture. Implants provide the necessary bone support and stimulation to prevent the start or continuation of thinning of the jaw.

The Medical Consequences of Periodontal Disease

"People think of gum disease in terms of their teeth, but they don't think about the fact that gum disease is a serious infection that can release bacteria into the bloodstream" - Dr. Robert Genco, editor Journal of Periodontology

Heart Disease & Heart Attack

Recent studies have shown that people with periodontal disease are 2.7 times more likely to suffer a heart attack.

Stroke

Studies have also shown that people with periodontal disease are 3 times more likely to suffer a stroke.

Pre-Term Childbirth

Women with periodontal disease are 7-8 times more likely to give birth prematurely to a low birth-weight baby.

Diabetes

Periodontal infection can raise blood sugar in diabetic patients. Periodontal treatment often results in a reduced need for insulin.

Respiratory Disease

Periodontal infection in the mouth can be breathed in and increase the severity of such respiratory diseases as pneumonia, bronchitis and emphysema.

Your Bacteria Can Be Transmitted

Research using DNA testing has found that periodontal bacteria can be transmitted from parent to child and spouse to spouse.

Periodontal Infection is a Medical Problem

Periodontal disease is no longer thought to be just a dental problem. Researchers are finding many correlations between periodontal infection and serious medical problems.

Some Patients are At Higher Risk

These correlations are particularly serious for those patients who are in a higher risk category such as:

Those having a personal or family history of:

Those having higher risk lifestyles, including:

Higher Risk Patients

If you have been told you have a periodontal infection, or some of its symptoms, it is vital that you seek evaluation and treatment.


<< Back to the Top >>


3730 7th Terrace, Suite 301 Vero Beach, FL 32960
Copyright 2009 Emerson Center for Oral Health

Designed by Dentist Design, A Division of Expansion Ventures, Inc.
Featured in Periodontist Directory.com and Dental Implants Directory