There are many stages of periodontal disease. At an early stage, you may notice that your gums are inflamed, swollen and perhaps more red than usual. An advanced stage leads to severe damage to the gums and eventual tooth loss. Periodontal disease is caused by poor oral hygiene, which results in severe plaque build-up and "pockets" that are formed when the gum pulls away from the tooth. These pockets become infected. Some factors (smoking, heredity, diabetes or certain medications) can increase the risk of developing periodontal disease.
Instructions
1. Attach the penlight to the mouth mirror. Align the penlight along the mirror handle, position the bulb facing the mirror and about 1 ½ inches away from the mirror. Use scotch tape to secure it.
2. Situate the mirror inside your mouth (light turned on) and focus it on the area you wish to examine. The mirror may fog up, in which case you can run some warm water over it for a minute to lower the temperature.
3. Examine the color of your gums. They should be a pinkish color, firm, with a stippling pattern (tiny indentations). The gums should also "hug" your teeth and fill in the spaces between your teeth. Your gums between your teeth should be shaped like a "V" on your upper jaw, and an upside down "V" on your lower jaw. Unhealthy gums are the opposite of these guidelines and signal some stage of periodontal disease.
4. Note any areas of sensitivity or pain. You can even count your teeth so that you can tell your dentist exactly where you're experiencing problems. Start with the upper jaw on the right side of your face. The tooth furthest back in that area is number one. Proceed to count around your upper jaw to the left side, and continue with the lower jaw, from left to right. These are the numbers that dentists use to refer to your teeth.
5. Verify the results of your home examination with a dentist. Your dentist will take an X-ray to check for bone loss. He will also measure any "pockets" you may have between your teeth that are caused by periodontal disease.
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