An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.(Preventing the Infection that causes periodontal Disease)

Sometimes I am not sure if this saying meant an English pound (or dollar) or a metaphorical weight measure. Let’s briefly explore how this applies to your dental health.

I was recently attending one of my study clubs and listening to an excellent case presentation involving a complete overhaul of someone’s teeth. The complexity of the case, extractions, implants, lengthy time involvement, the number of specialists consulted, and of course the price tag (which was in the neighborhood of $70,000) was almost overwhelming.

This very extensive treatment and investment was a result of advanced periodontal disease that required extractions of all the teeth. Regretfully, all of this could have been prevented.

We know that periodontal disease or “gum and bone disease” starts as a gum infection that can spread to the underlying tooth-supporting bone. Statistically, this is the major reason for tooth loss as an adult. The severity and speed of this painless disease depends on the populations of certain bacteria and your immune system’s response.

Prevention includes at least twice daily effective tooth brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits. Your dentist can help by prescribing anti-microbial rinses, antibiotics, prescription strength fluoridated toothpastes, and specialized cleaning aids for at home use. I recommend the electric toothbrushes made by Oral-B Braun, Sonicare, and Rotodent. Each brand has it own individual mechanism of cleaning action. If you use a manual toothbrush, brush thoroughly but gently to prevent tooth and gum injury.

If you smoke, you can stop reading this article. The damgaging effects of smoking throw all the meaningful statistics and studies out the window. Systemic diseases such as diabetes can also complicate the fight against periodontal disease. Your general dentist or periodontist will consider all health factors and medications when diagnosing the state of health of the supporting structures of teeth (the periodontium) before recommending treatment alternatives.

Dentists can help control the damage caused from periodontal disease by removing the causative agents that collect below the gum line that the toothbrush is not reaching. Interrupting the daily life of a bacterium is critical. Of course a bacterial lifetime may only be twenty minutes so you must adhere to a daily habit of brushing. Think of preventative dental care as an investment that cannot be taken from you in uncertain economic times.

Regaining some lost periodontal tissues may be possible with advanced laser treatments, tooth recontouring and frequent hygiene visits. A periodontist can perform surgical correction of the gum contours as a result of periodontal disease. Also, teeth can be extracted and replaced with implants. Sometimes this is necessary and not anybody’s fault. Most of the time it is preventable.

Prevention means good daily diet and home care. Have regular dentist visits so early signs of periodontal disease can be treated and stopped. Unfortunately, once we have periodontal disease we are never cured. However, it can be controlled before it becomes very costly to treat.