Periodontal diseases primarily cause damage to your gums, and will lead to more infections in the mouth and teeth loss. The main cause of periodontal disease is bacterial plaque build-up. It is often colorless and sticky.
When bacterial plaque accumulates in your mouth for quite some time, it will infect your gums. The bacteria that have moved in your gums will inflame and redden your gum tissues by releasing toxins. At that point, you already have periodontal disease. If you leave it untreated, your teeth will slowly separate from your gums and the condition will become much worse.
Specialized dentists in Rockville called periodontists diagnose, cure, and operate on these diseases. When periodontal diseases have already done some heavy damage on your mouth, periodontists often offer replacement with dental implants, and even periodontal plastic surgery. Of course, those operations are a bit expensive. So, it is much better to avoid periodontal diseases than cure them. For you to avoid having one, know the prime suspects that cause periodontal disease.
1. Bad Oral Hygiene: This is simply the number one cause of periodontal disease. Rarely brushing your teeth, nor eliminating plaque build-up, will often leave you susceptible to such disease.
2. Untreated Teeth: When one of your teeth gets damaged, broken, or decayed, the plaque can easily sneak through its damaged parts. Unfortunately, even if you are orally hygienic, you will have a hard time removing the plaque build-ups inside your damaged teeth. Brushing, flossing, and gargling will not be enough to remove them.
3. Weakened Immune System: With a weakened immune system, any type of bacteria or virus can easily get through, and periodontal diseases are no exceptions. Serious diseases such as leukemia, diabetes, and ultimately, human immunodeficiency virus, more commonly known as HIV, can cause a weakened immune system.
4. Unhealthy Lifestyle: Alcohol and drugs can easily cause your mouth and body to become unable to fight infections. Also, they worsen your mouth's condition. By the way, piercings can also become perfect breeding grounds for bacteria.
5. Genetics and Life Stages: If your family has a history of recurring periodontal disease, then you might be prone to this ailment. In addition, certain stages in life, particularly for women, can encourage the growth of this bacteria-causing disease.
6. Medications: Some medications can weaken your immune system, too. Moreover, some drugs, such as heart medicines, antidepressants, and oral contraceptives, can make you more susceptible to periodontal diseases.
7. Smoking and Tobacco: These can ruin your teeth and pave the way for the bacterial plaque to proliferate in your teeth and mouth. It also slows down the healing rate of your gum tissues. And of course, it causes cancer. Thus, if you are a smoker, then it might be time to end the habit.