Garak-dong Dental Clinic - If You Hold Out Until the End with Gum Disease..

Garak-dong Dental Clinic - If You Hold Out Until the End with Gum Disease..​

Hello. I am Shin Seung-hwan, the chief dentist at Yonsei Uline Dental Clinic, Garak-dong branch, near Garak Market Station in Garak-dong, Songpa-gu.

Even while suffering from gum disease,

there are quite a few people who think,

"It's a little uncomfortable, but it's still usable,

so I'll get an implant later when they all become loose and fall out."

In fact, when they come to the clinic, it is sometimes not because their teeth hurt,

but because they have held out at home as long as they could

and eventually come in with their teeth already fallen out.

Although it is not very common, the problem is that most of the people who come like this are in a condition where even dental implants are not easy.

Our teeth are divided into the crown and the root,

and the root is supported by bone called the alveolar bone.

When gum disease progresses, this alveolar bone slowly deteriorates,

and the interesting thing is that even if about half of the bone is lost,

the tooth does not become as loose as you might expect.

So from the patient's perspective,

it is easy to think, "It still seems okay?"

But if you can actually feel looseness,

it is often the case that bone loss in the gums has already progressed beyond that point.

The problem is when this condition is left alone until the end.

If you wait until the tooth becomes very loose and falls out,

the bone at the base that should have remained is often almost completely lost,

and the inflammation has spread widely to the surrounding area.

In that case, the situation becomes much more complicated.

When a tooth is extracted due to cavities or trauma,

the surrounding gum bone is relatively healthy,

so after extraction the bone heals well

and implants are relatively easier.

Even when extraction is unavoidable because of gum disease,

if bone loss has stopped at about one-third or one-half

and the surrounding bone condition is still good,

some regeneration can be expected, and if needed,

bone grafting can be used to place an implant.

But if the alveolar bone has almost completely disappeared,

the story changes.

There may not be enough bone to place an implant at all,

and even if it can somehow be placed, treatment will be done under much less favorable conditions.

For example, if the upper bone has melted away significantly

and the implant has to be placed in deeper bone lower down,

the tooth will end up looking abnormally long.

Especially in the front tooth area, the psychological burden can be significant,

and with a lot of gum tissue lost, food gets stuck more easily

and maintenance becomes difficult.

In such cases, the prognosis and lifespan of the implant are also

likely to be worse than for an implant placed in healthy bone.

So the idea of "Since I'll be getting an implant anyway,

I'll hold out as long as possible and go in at the very end" can actually be a dangerous choice when it comes to gum disease.

If your gums are swollen, bleeding,

and you start to feel your teeth becoming loose,

you should come to the dentist and get an X-ray exam

before it becomes too late.

It is essential to consult with your dentist about whether it is better to extract the tooth now

or whether it can still be used a little longer with ongoing care.

Just checking and deciding a little earlier can greatly widen your treatment options later.

This has been Yonsei Uline Dental Clinic, located in Garak-dong, Songpa-gu.