Periodontal Disease in Orange County, California

Periodontal disease basically is a disease of your gums when it has gone deeper than just, you know, above the gums, and that is periodontal disease. So basically, it's a disease of your gums.

Periodontal disease is usually caused by germs, not going to the dentist regularly, not taking good care of your teeth at home, or it could also be caused by some other conditions like smoking, medical conditions, diabetes, and some other health conditions as well.

Periodontal disease usually causes some bleeding of the gums while you're brushing, or your gums feel itchy or swollen or not so comfortable, there might be some burning sensation, or in people like smokers or even people who are pregnant, there might be no symptoms, and they are just swollen and you're not even aware of it, and you need to come see the dentist regularly to make sure you do not have gum disease.

Periodontal disease could actually affect your entire health because, as you know, the body is one whole, correct? It's W-H-O-L-E, and whatever is happening in your mouth also affects the entire body because the blood that is flowing through your mouth is also flowing through your brain, your heart, your other organs, your limbs, and every place else. So if there is a disease in your mouth, it can also end up in other disease processes. So it's really important to take good care of your gums.

Periodontal disease can definitely be cured. You just need to come to the dentist and ask them what exactly is needed in your particular case, and it can definitely be cured. Maybe your gums cannot reach how they were before, but a lot of advancement has happened in periodontal disease. We are very, very big on rehabilitating you from periodontal disease. We have a variety of tools to do so and keep your gums healthy. So you definitely should come in and get your gums as healthy as possible.

Periodontal disease starts initially with gum swelling and bleeding, which often gets ignored. It then starts to go deeper into your gums, reaching the bone that supports the tooth. Once the bone and the deeper gums get diseased, the tooth starts to get mobile, which eventually leads to tooth loss.

No, they are not painful at all because if your gums are very sensitive or if your teeth are very sensitive, we numb you. Or we have a variety of other ways of handling your pain level or pain tolerance, but most of the patients have no pain and we can easily get through the process without pain.

Genetics can play a role in your susceptibility to gum disease. If you know that gum disease runs in your family, you should be very careful about looking after your gums from the very beginning. This involves brushing twice a day, flossing regularly, and visiting the dentist for regular check-ups.

Gum disease and heart disease are connected. Germs introduced into our bodies through food and personal contact can enter our bloodstream and cause disease in organs such as the heart. Recent research shows that many cases of heart disease actually start from gum disease.

A diet for periodontal disease should include more natural foods, like fruits and vegetables, and less refined diet. Eating foods that require some chewing (but not too hard) like apples or pears, in moderation, can also be beneficial. A normal healthy diet is good for the teeth and gums as well.

To treat periodontal disease, a dentist will start out with taking your x-rays and measuring your gum pockets. Depending on the findings, the treatment could range from a regular cleaning to a deep cleaning or more intensive treatment with antibiotics or laser treatment. In advanced cases, certain surgical procedures may also be necessary.

While gingivitis, the milder form of gum disease, can be managed at home to some extent, periodontitis cannot be treated at home. You must visit a dentist for treatment. The single most important thing is to go to the dentist regularly, even if you're not having any problems with your gums, as this can prevent gum disease.

Scheduling a periodontal cleaning or a dental appointment is very easy. You just give us a call at (714) 744-1242 and we have immediate openings available. We even have free consultations available. So there is nothing to lose. Give us a call immediately and we will be happy to see you.

I'm Dr. Lori Bagai and I will be happy to see if you actually have periodontal disease or not and to help you out with that. We have great success in rehabilitating our patients from periodontal disease to full health and do not delay because nobody looks pretty without their teeth. You want to look as pretty as possible, right? Give us a call at (714) 744-1242 and we'll be happy to help you.