Periodontal infection is caused by bacteria present every day in our mouths, even the cleanest of them, even among those of us who brush after every meal and snack. Some people are more susceptible to periodontal infection than others, just as some of us are more likely to get a sunburn or become drowsy in a movie. It all depends on how well our body (by that we mean our immune systems) are able to fight off infections.

Our ability to fight infections can vary from day to day; week to week; depending on what else is going on with our life and health. If you are under greater stress, your immune system may be compromised. If you are on an unusual diet, or taking a particular medication, these factors may also affect your ability to combat these otherwise insignificant infections.

We now know that bleeding of the gums, when they are gently touched, is a very likely sign that an infection is present. This means that the bacteria and the organic toxins they produce have overwhelmed the immune system in this localized area, and that is a potentially serious problem.

The lining of the gums next to the tooth can become cracked and ulcerated, and will surely bleed when touched, however gently. The toxins actually become embedded in the root surface of the tooth, if you can picture that.

If the infection continues uncontrolled, it will eventually result in the destruction of the bone that supports the tooth, not to mention the face of the tooth. By this point, once it is evident, it may be too late to make any meaningful correction. This bone loss is permanent. If the bone destruction is allowed to continue, it will result in loss of the teeth, since there will be nothing left to support them, even if the tooth itself remains healthy.

Fortunately, periodontal infection can now be detected and treated earlier than ever. Each time you see the hygienist, she will do a periodontal screening to detect early signs of this infection using a variety of cutting edge dental technology. If the gums bleed during this screening, infection is almost surely present. With early detection of the infection, it can be controlled without surgery. This will save you not only money, but discomfort and time as well.

If the infection has progressed, surgical intervention may be necessary to control it, but that’s not a bad thing, it just means that you’ve successfully nipped a more serious problem in the bud before it blossoms into a more costly, painful, potentially dangerous problem.

As dental experts ourselves, we are excited about our ability to detect such infections early, and to be able to offer non-surgical therapy to our patients, whenever possible.

Periodontal therapy may include detoxification (reducing the embedded bacterial toxins) of the root surface. In our office, we use the latest instruments, including ultrasonics, to reduce the toxin and bacterial levels to a point that our patients’ immune systems can control the infection.

We also irrigate under the gum line with a prescription antimicrobial medicine. Your active participation with removal of bacteria at home every day is critical to the control of infection, but we assist our patients with specific instructions on effective bacterial (plaque) removal.

Periodontal infection is not curable, but it is controllable. Following active therapy, your doctor will recommend supportive periodontal therapy to help you keep your infection under control and prevent further bone destruction and atrophy. We now know that the bacteria that cause periodontal infection can become disease producing in as little as 45-90 days, therefore, your interval for supportive periodontal therapy will be 12 weeks or less. If your provider says otherwise, you may wish to do more research and ask more pointed questions.