Gum Disease (or Periodontal Disease): Causes, Prevention

Gum disease, scientifically known as periodontal disease, is a common cause of tooth loss and has been recently linked to other general health concerns such as heart disease and stroke.

If not quickly and effectively treated, gum disease can lead to complex oral diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis, which are often chronic and therefore much harder to treat.  It affects both children and adults alike and reasons for gum disease are as follows:



1. Poor Oral Hygiene
Cleaning the teeth regularly ensures that the harmful bacterium (that creates a film over the teeth) is successfully eradicated.


Read:    Daily Oral Health Care Plan

Those who do not brush, floss and use an anti-bacterial mouthwash are more likely to suffer from gum diseases such as gingivitis or periodontitis.  Sounds obvious right? But around half of the UK population has some degree of gum disease and many believe that bleeding gums are ‘normal’.

2. Tooth Loss
It is one of the more common causes of gum disease. When one or more teeth are missing (especially at the back of the mouth) it promotes an increase in bacterial growth. Simply put, this is because surrounding teeth are harder to access with a toothbrush due to missing teeth causing gaps in the mouth. Tooth loss also occurs as a result of gum disease.

3. Diabetes
As diabetic sufferers are more prone to infection the risk of contracting periodontal disease has already been dramatically increased. However, even those who maintain the perfect methods of oral hygiene still experience severe gum disease. Current studies display the link between diabetes and gum disease is due to ‘enhanced inflammatory responses’ caused by chronic hyperglycaemia.

4. Medication
There is now a common link between anti-depressant medications and periodontal disease.  Anti-depressants are known to promote dry mouth, which is a leading cause of gum disease, this is because a less than sufficient amount of salvia is produced to neutralise plaque.

5. Teeth Grinding
Also known as bruxism, teeth grinding is a common sleep disorder and can cause substantial gum disease problems. This is because the constant pressure upon the teeth speeds up the damage of the periodontal tissue.

Read:    4 Tips For Healthy Teeth

6. Stress
As we are all aware stress is a very common symptom for the majority of diseases present. Stress puts a lot of tension upon the immune system, which is designed to fight off infection. As the immune system is placed under a lot of strain there is an increase in the chances of heart disease, cancer and periodontal disease. 

7. Smoking
One of the main causes of smoking-related gum disease is the excess production of calculus, which is the hardened plaque that adheres to the teeth. The problem with this is that it can only be removed by a professional dental teeth-cleaning procedure.

Read:    10 Reasons Why You Should Quit Smoking

However, even when treated the results may not be the best desired as tobacco has been proven to slow down the healing process.  Smokers are therefore at a loss when it comes to gum disease and are advised to quit the habit.

Treatments for Preventing Gum Disease

There are several ways to prevent gum disease. For those that have mild cases, non-surgical methods are often the best type of treatment. However, serious cases of gum disease can lead to substantial bone loss, which then increases the likelihood that the sufferer will require a more invasive treatment. Below is a small list of typical gum disease treatments, which have been very successful:

1. Professional Dental Cleaning
This is designed to remove any plaque from the teeth using air abrasion systems. The hygienist will ensure that all tartar is removed. If there is gum disease present the hygienist may refer the patient to a periodontist or recommend another cleaning in a few months time.

2. Tissue Grafts
This surgical procedure is provided to re-build receded gums as a result of gum disease. The tissue is taken from a donor site of the patient’s mouth and then stitched into place at the affected area.

3. Scaling
This procedure is carried out under a local anaesthetic as plaque is removed from under the gum line. This is to prevent any more bacteria from forming contributing to further gum disease.

4. Pocket Reduction Surgery
During this treatment the gums are lifted and the plaque is removed from underneath the gums. The areas in which irregular surfaces are present (promoting further development of bacteria) are smoothed and made to fit tightly around the gums. This is to make sure that there is dramatically less development of bacteria around the gums.