What happens if periodontitis is not treated?

Periodontitis (per-e-o-don-TIE-tis), also called gum disease, is a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue and, without treatment, can destroy the bone that supports your teeth. Periodontitis can cause teeth to loosen or lead to tooth loss.

Is periodontal disease fatal?

Studies have shown that people with poor oral hygiene and gum disease are more likely to suffer from a wide variety of conditions—some of which can be life-threatening and even fatal. It may be hard to believe, but your mouth, teeth, and gums have a direct link with your body's cardiovascular system.

What happens if you leave periodontal disease?

The Risks of Untreated Gum Disease

Avoiding treatment for periodontitis can cause gaps in your teeth, receding gums, sensitive teeth, mouth sores, chronic bad breath, and tooth loss. Gum disease has also been connected to an array of serious health issues, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and more.

Does periodontitis shorten your life?

For older women, having a history of periodontal disease, a serious gum infection, presents a 12% higher risk of premature death from any cause, while loss of natural teeth is associated with a 17% higher risk, the researchers say.

What happens if you don't treat periodontitis?

Periodontitis (also called periodontal disease) is gum disease. This infection damages the soft tissue around your teeth and wears away the bone supporting them. If left untreated, the disease eventually ruins the bone, loosening the teeth and causing them to fall out.

Periodontitis and its influence on health - How is periodontal disease treated? ©

How fast does periodontal disease progress?

Slight Periodontal Disease

During the early gingivitis stages, gum inflammation can occur in as little as five days. Within two to three weeks, the signs of generalized gingivitis become more noticeable. If you still leave this untreated, it would progress to slight periodontal disease.

Can periodontal disease make you feel ill?

Fever, Chills, Bleeding Gums: Potential Periodontal Disease. As we mentioned when discussing dental abscesses, oral infections can present with flu-like symptoms. This holds true when you experience periodontal disease, also called gum disease.

Can I live with periodontitis?

Living with periodontal disease can cause aesthetic complications and bone loss of a serious nature. Unlike other injuries, periodontal disease does not cause any pain. It is a silent disease when the teeth gum becomes inflamed and bleeds.

Is periodontal disease irreversible?

Once gum disease goes beyond this stage, and into periodontitis and advanced periodontitis the implications are irreversible, leaving damage to the tooth and it's underlying structure inevitable.

Is periodontitis curable?

Periodontitis can only be treated but cannot be cured. Gingivitis, on the other hand, can be prevented by maintaining proper oral hygiene practices and visiting the dentist for checkups and exams.

What are the 5 stages of periodontal disease?

Can you have a gum infection for years?

The Danger of Untreated Infected Teeth and Gums

An infection in your body is considered a threat. If they are not treated, they can last for several months or years. There are two types of dental abscess – one can form under the tooth (periapical) and the other in the supporting gum and bone (periodontal).

Why periodontal disease is a silent killer?

Gum Disease: The Silent Killer

But, periodontal disease doesn't just destroy your teeth, gums, and bone. It is the major cause of tooth loss for adults and has also been linked to medical conditions like heart disease, stroke, some cancers, and even preterm and stillborn births.

What is aggressive periodontitis?

Aggressive periodontitis is a destructive disease characterized by the following: the involvement of multiple teeth with a distinctive pattern of periodontal tissue loss; a high rate of disease progression; an early age of onset; and the absence of systemic diseases.

What health problems can periodontal disease cause?

Your gums are a barrier that helps prevent inflammation that may damage your body. In fact, gum disease has been linked to health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and premature births or low-birth weight babies.

How does gum disease affect your whole body?

If you have gum disease, especially if it is untreated, you are at a greater risk for developing coronary artery disease. Bacteria from your gums release toxins. Those toxins can travel in your bloodstream. The toxins can cause inflammation in your arteries, and can create a blockage there.

What is considered severe periodontal disease?

Advanced Periodontal Disease: The final stage of periodontal disease is when the infection has evolved into disease-causing bacteria. It can cause redness, swollen gums that ooze pus, sensitivity, loosening of teeth, painful chewing, severe bad breath, and bone loss.

Can a dentist fix periodontal disease?

While gum disease can be effectively treated in the early stages, advanced periodontal disease, often called periodontitis, can't be reversed.

Can you stop periodontal disease from getting worse?

Advanced gum disease, also called periodontal disease, cannot be reversed. However, our dentists are able to mitigate the damaging effects of periodontal disease through scaling and root planing. Periodontal treatment can help you avoid some of the more serious side effects, such as receding gums and tooth loss.

Should I be worried if I have periodontitis?

When periodontal disease is left untreated, however, it worsens and can eventually lead to major health concerns including gum recession, bone loss, and tooth loss.

Should I be worried about periodontal disease?

If you don't treat periodontitis, you risk having loss of gums, teeth, and can cause permanent damage. Identification of gum disease early is important. You should regularly watch for symptoms, including bad breath, swollen and/or bleeding gums, and toothaches.

Can periodontitis spread to other teeth?

If you have gum disease, it can spread to other teeth as it is in the gums, which are connected together to hold your teeth in place. This makes it important to treat gum disease as soon as you think you have it to prevent it from advancing to more detrimental stages that can lead to receding gums or tooth loss.

Does periodontitis make you tired?

The gums are rich in blood vessels, and when gum disease is present, the blood vessels become a simple way to transport infections in different parts of the body. The longer that you have gum disease, the more likely it is that the infection can start to affect other organs and cause you to feel worn out and tired.

Can rotten teeth affect your heart?

Gum disease (periodontitis) is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease. Poor dental health increases the risk of a bacterial infection in the blood stream, which can affect the heart valves. Oral health may be particularly important if you have artificial heart valves.

Can a tooth infection go to your brain?

If you have a tooth abscess you could develop meningitis. This life-threatening condition occurs when the membranes near the spinal cord and the brain become inflamed. This bacterial infection could spread to the bloodstream and surround your brain and spinal cord. Meningitis could require extensive hospitalization.