Gum disease is a serious, widespread condition that affects roughly half of all adults over the age of 30 – and what’s worse is that the illness can cause all sorts of harm to your oral health while also affecting other parts of your body, including even your heart and lungs. That said, it’s always in your best interest to have gum disease treated – but what if you’ve been battling it for a while now, and you’re wondering if removing your teeth might be a possible solution? Here’s what you need to know.
Will Removing Teeth Resolve My Gum Disease?
Remember, gum disease is an infection of the gum tissue – not the teeth themselves. Therefore, it’s crucial to note that removing your teeth will not actually treat or cure your gum disease. However, there are some cases when tooth extractions are an important part of your overall treatment plan.
For example, it might be necessary to remove the teeth if the gum disease has seriously compromised the surrounding gum tissue. In these cases, the bone that supports the teeth, as well as the gums, will often shrink to the point where the teeth loosen, which in turn can cause difficulty biting and chewing. It also makes it easier for bacteria to collect in pockets underneath the gums. If an extensive level of damage has occurred, removing the teeth can both increase your comfort and be a stepping stone toward promoting long-term oral health. Of course, once the teeth have been removed, they’ll need to be replaced to prevent oral health issues like further tooth loss or recurring gum disease.
Is Tooth Extraction the Only Option?
Your provider and their team will always preserve your natural teeth whenever possible – and this is much easier for them to do if you seek gum disease treatment sooner, rather than later. One of the most popular, conservative, and effective forms of gum disease therapy is scaling and root planing, which is more-or-less an extensive deep cleaning of your mouth that involves clearing out the pockets of bacteria far beneath the gumline. If gum disease hasn’t gotten too severe yet, sometimes an improved oral hygiene regimen can reverse the condition’s progression.
If it does become necessary to remove your teeth in order to treat your gum disease, you may qualify for dental implants, which are the next-closest thing to your natural teeth. Though it might sound like a lot to have to undergo extractions to combat your gum disease, know that your provider is putting your oral health’s future first.
About the Practice
Under the leadership of Dr. Zachary Carnow, our team here at Frisco Periodontics and Dental Implants has proudly served patients in the DFW metroplex for several years. We offer a wide range of services, including periodontal therapy, tooth extractions, dental implants, and beyond. If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to get in touch with us to set up an appointment, you can visit us online or call today for more information or assistance. Telephone: (214) 619-4990.