Periodontal disease is not a life-threatening condition. However, it might require you to seek treatments from various medical professionals when the bacteria from the infection spread to your bloodstream to affect your overall health.
They may experience receding gums, loosening teeth, or tooth loss when it progresses into severe periodontal disease. If you wonder if you can live with this disease, the answer is yes. In general, periodontal disease does not cause pain, which is one of the reasons it develops into a severe condition.
With periodontal disease, the severity of the condition can change over time, leading to an ever-changing mortality expectancy. “The more severe the condition, the higher the risk of death,” Heaton said.
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. At this stage, your gums will start to pull away or "recede" from your teeth.
Moderate Periodontitis
Teeth may become loose and wiggly, and the jaw is beginning to become affected and infected, too. If you have stage four gum disease, you may sometimes experience a foul-tasting discharge from your swollen gums. This is a serious situation that merits a visit to your dentist right away.
In its early stage, called gingivitis, the gums can become swollen and red, and they may bleed. In its more serious form, called periodontitis, the gums can pull away from the tooth, bone can be lost, and the teeth may loosen or even fall out. Periodontal disease is mostly seen in adults.
Stage 4: Progressive Periodontitis
This stage involves teeth looseness, shifting teeth, red, swollen and painful gums, often forming an abscess. The end result — eating and even smiling is hard and painful, and you may lose most of your teeth.
However, if you receive gum disease treatment early, you can preserve your natural teeth and prevent the need to search for replacement options. Periodontal and systemic diseases are associated, and research is ongoing to establish the reasons for the association.
Advanced Periodontitis
The final stage of gum disease happens when extensive and serious damage to gum tissue and supporting bone occurs. This may cause your teeth to shift or loosen and the pockets to deepen. Tooth loss may happen due to gum tissue erosion. During this stage, your teeth become overly sensitive.
Dentists will always try to save a tooth when it's possible, but teeth that are too badly damaged may need to be removed to maintain your oral health. If you notice a problem with any of your teeth, it's important to see a dentist as soon as possible.
There are significant problems with living without teeth, but you can survive. Your brain, your internal organs, and a few other things are required to just survive, to be alive. Healthy teeth and a healthy mouth are essential to a good quality of life.
Periodontitis (per-e-o-don-TIE-tis), also called gum disease, is a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue around teeth. Without treatment, periodontitis can destroy the bone that supports your teeth. This can cause teeth to loosen or lead to tooth loss. Periodontitis is common but can usually be prevented.
Periodontal disease causes tooth loss if not treated early, and advanced periodontitis can lead to a decline in chewing ability, word pronunciation, and aesthetic function.
Periodontal disease is one of the many diseases and conditions that increase in prevalence with age.
It's never too late for gum grafting as long as the patient has sufficient gum tissue to harvest for the graft. However, the success rate of the procedure may be lower in cases where the patient has advanced gum disease or other underlying health issues that can affect the healing process.
If you have mild gingivitis, it can take weeks or even months for it to turn into periodontitis. However, if you have severe gingivitis, it can progress into periodontitis in as little as a few days. This is why it is so important to see a dentist as soon as you notice any symptoms of gingivitis.
In the end, if you have advanced periodontal disease, extraction may be your best chance to have a healthy smile down the road. When you work closely with a dentist, you can stop bad bacteria from further destroying your oral health, replace the teeth you've lost, and get back on track.
3 mm - 5 mm with bleeding: It's very likely that gums with these measurements have early gum disease. 5 mm - 7 mm with bleeding: Besides almost certain gum disease, bone loss and tissue damage are also possible. 7 mm+ with bleeding: Pockets deeper than 7 mm means advanced gum disease is certain.
Periodontitis can cause complications in other parts of the body as well. Research indicates there is a link between gum disease and heart disease and stroke.
Advanced periodontitis – At this stage, expect severe infection that spreads beneath the gums, tooth loss leading to abscesses, and increasing discomfort.
It's important to point out that while gum disease or periodontal disease do not cause oral cancer of any kind, having either of these oral conditions could increase your risks. This is what makes regular dentist visits and proper hygiene vital.
Advanced periodontitis.
But if you've already lost bone around your teeth due to infection, the disease is too advanced to reverse. However, you can manage it with proper treatment and consistent, diligent oral hygiene.
Like most people, you care about your oral health. And, it can be jarring, but the answer to “can gum disease kill you?” is YES.
Periodontitis affects more than 47% of adults over age 30 in the U.S. That number jumps to around 70% for adults 65 years and over.