Periodontal disease is also known as gum disease and is caused by pathogenic bacteria that have been introduced and become established in an individual’s mouth. This bacteria can survive very well under the gum and alongside the roots of the teeth causing the following conditions: red and bleeding gums, bone loss around teeth, loose teeth, chronic bad breath, pocket formation around teeth and hyper-sensitive gums .   Periodontal disease, if untreated, is a progressive problem that will almost always get worse with time. It is also very common for patients to have varying stages of periodontal disease without recognizing the symptoms so routine visits to the dentist and dental hygienist are usually necessary for early detection prevention.   Visit www.perio.org/consumer/gum-disease.htm for more detailed information on periodontal disease.
	Apart from the oral problems associated with gum disease, systemic problems can stem from untreated gum disease as well. This happens when the pathogenic, or disease causing bacteria gets into the blood stream through your gum tissue’s capillaries and causes problems in other parts of your body. The American Heart Association stresses the importance of maintaining good oral health and treating periodontal disease for this very reason.
	Visit the following link for more information on how the heart and cardiovascular system can be affected by gum disease: www.perio.org/consumer/mbc.heart.htm
	Healthy gingiva (gum tissue)                        Gingivitis                                   Periodontitis
	Your dentist will evaluate your overall periodontal health at each biannual periodic examination. If gum disease is detected, he will recommend treatment that properly corresponds to your level of infection. The treatment for periodontal disease can include more than one modality, but the overall goal of the treatment is to remove the disease causing bacteria and to allow the individual’s mouth to return to a healthy state. Since the bacteria that causes gum disease is commonly found attached to the roots of the teeth, a deep cleaning otherwise known as scaling and root planing is usually recommended in conjunction with prescription antimicrobial rinses and proper oral hygiene instruction.
	For severely involved periodontal teeth, dental extraction and replacement with dental implants or other tooth replacement modalities may be recommended. For persistent or non-healing periodontal pockets, a referral to a periodontist with an evaluation for periodontal surgery may be recommended.
	For more information on periodontal treatment modalities visit: www.perio.org/proceedures.htm
	Finally, since periodontal disease is a progressive and a chronic disease detection, proper diagnosis and treatment are usually not enough to keep the infection from returning. Periodontal maintenance is the name given for routine hygiene visits for patients that have had a history of gum disease followed by treatment.
	It is usually done every three months and is similar to a regular dental hygiene visit except that hygienist and dentist will re-evaluate the patients overall periodontal progress in regard to previous visits and will keep those previously scaled roots smooth and pocket depths to a minimum. Studies have shown that the bacteria responsible for gum disease has a tendency to return after three months in previously infected pockets and that’s why periodontal maintenance is recommended at these intervals.