subject: Minneapolis Dentists, Periodontal Causes, Minneapolis Dentist [print this page] What Causes Periodontal Diseases? What Causes Periodontal Diseases?
Periodontal refers to a condition surrounding the tooth, and when you talk about it being a disease, you are basically saying that the tooth is being endangered by something around it. The two most common types of periodontal diseases are periodontitis and gingivitis. These are both problems that can lead to the loss of one or more of your teeth.
There are many reasons why you can get periodontal disease but the overlying cause would be a dirty mouth - literally. Since we are constantly putting things in our mouth, bacteria tends to accumulate, and the only way you can remove these bacteria is by cleaning your mouth often.
On the other hand, even with daily cleaning, there is still a tendency for plaque build-up especially around the crevices and hard-to-reach areas. The plaque can harden and cause the gum and tooth to separate. This will, if left alone, lead to tooth loss.
There are other causes of periodontal disease such as:
Family Genetics
The health of your teeth can also be partially determined by who your parents are. There are families that tend to have yellowish teeth even at a young age, and it also applies to the spacing between teeth. Thus, if there is a family history of larger spacing between teeth and between teeth and gum, this family becomes more susceptible to periodontal disease. It can be prevented with better dental care and constant monitoring by your family dentist.
Stress
Stress is really the all-time cause for so many medical conditions, and one of this is periodontal disease. When we are stressed, we tend to be lax in many things including dental care. We could also start smoking or smoke more; eat, drink and go to bed without brushing or flossing; munch on sweets more than ever; forget to go to your annual or bi-annual professional dental cleaning; and a lot more excuses. Unfortunately, stress also lowers your capacity to fight infection.
Hormonal Changes
As we go through life, we experience hormonal changes like puberty, menopause, Andropause and pregnancy. All these can affect your dental health and increase the risk for periodontal disease. During any of these times, you can start to experience sensitive gums, mood swings, depression, lethargy, hot flashes, skin disorders, and so many other symptoms which could all lead to less care for your teeth. The minute you start to disregard your dental care, you open yourself to the dangers of dental problems. Plus, it is something that has to be done more than once a day, so once a person starts to be complacent, or uninterested in dental care, cavities and gum diseases will happen.
Medicines
Steroids can harm your tissues around your teeth. Drugs to treat high blood pressure like Nifedipine can also cause the gums to swell, and this could lead to periodontal disease. Treatment for arthritis and acne could also cause a problem with your gums which could be irreversible if not replaced by other drugs. When you get dry mouth because of any drug you are taking, it could also lead to damage to your gums and teeth. There is a reason why we need saliva in our mouth. This emphasizes the need to inform your dentist of any maintenance drugs you are taking for other conditions so that he can adjust them if need be.
Other causes for periodontal disease are poor nutrition, diabetes, grinding, autoimmune disorders, and obesity.
by: Chris Johnson
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