Much like cardiovascular disease, periodontal disease is a "silent" disease which can have serious consequences. Periodontal disease is the loss of attachment of gums and bone to teeth from bacteria. It consists of three components: pocketing, attachment loss and inflammation (bleeding). In health, teeth generally have 1-3mm of probing depth between the tooth and gums. If bacterial plaque and calculus is allowed to remain on a tooth surface, it causes inflammation of the gums. Left untreated, this will cause the connective tissue around teeth to detach and the bone to crater. Your dentist can tell this using x-rays and by probing the gums to find the pockets. These depths can be as "shallow" as 4-5mm or as deep as 8mm and more. It is very common for there to be no pain involved in the progression of this disease.

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This is treated a variety of ways depending on the severity of the disease. Usually, mild inflammation can be managed by brushing and flossing daily, in conjunction with regular visits to the dentist. If a pocket forms, the patient will not be able to reach the bottom to clean it. Therefore, a hygienist can deep clean, or scale the teeth, scraping the bottom of the pocket to get rid of the bacteria and clean the tooth surface. This may take more than one visit. If the pockets are deeper than 4-5mm, the hygienist may not be able to reach the bottoms to clean them, and surgery may be needed. This is a procedure where a periodontist will expose the root surface in order to clean it. If the attachment loss is too great, the tooth will be lost.

Again, much like cardiovascular disease, periodontal disease can worsen very quickly and without warning, which is why it is important to treat it as soon as it is suspected and to diligently stick to your treatment regimen. Patient home care is of utmost importance in the management of periodontal disease, since regular brushing, flossing and trips to the dentist are effective in preventing and treating this disease. Periodontal disease has also been linked to heart disease and low birth-weight babies.