Does Tooth Extraction Cure Gum Disease?

These days, tooth loss is still common, and gum disease is its leading cause worldwide. In fact, up to 178 million people in the United States alone have at least one missing adult tooth. That’s around half of the adult population! Although gum disease isn’t extremely complicated in concept, getting rid of it once you have it becomes a lifelong pursuit. For instance, you may ask whether having a tooth extraction will cure gum disease entirely or whether it may come back. To understand how it works and how to treat and prevent it, keep reading!

What Causes Gum Disease?

Gum disease comes from oral bacteria in white, sticky plaque in your mouth. After you’ve eaten, this bacteria-filled substance forms and adheres to your teeth, especially around the gumline. These bacteria irritate your gums, causing them to become inflamed and infected. Without intervention, the disease spreads to your jawbone, deteriorating it and allowing teeth to feel loose and insecure. Eventually, teeth come out because of the lack of support. Unfortunately, once lost, your real teeth cannot come back.

Will Removing My Teeth Cure Gum Disease?

Logically, you’d think if you have no teeth for plaque to stick to, this infection can’t harm you anymore. So, in a way, removing your teeth can certainly help stop the progression of this advanced inflammatory disease. However, functioning without any replacement teeth can lead to social isolation, poor nutrition, and further shrinking of the jawbone.

Dentures and dental implants can restore your teeth, but keep in mind that though these prosthetics can’t decay, they can develop plaque on them and start to inflame your gums again and contribute to systemic diseases like heart disease, kidney failure, Alzheimer’s and certain kinds of cancer.

How Can I Prevent Reinfection?

By far, the best protection against gum disease, either before or after you’ve had teeth removed, is to work with your dentist to actively prevent it and treat it early. By keeping your teeth and gums clear of plaque, you can eliminate the risk of both decay and inflammatory infection this soft tissue.

Avoiding gum disease entails brushing and flossing your teeth every day as well as regular dental checkups and cleanings. These visits can allow your dentist to remove hardened plaque, stopping the infection from starting, and diagnose any existing problems—hopefully before teeth need to be extracted.

Although tooth removal can be a valuable step toward overcoming advanced gum disease, it doesn’t completely eliminate the risk of getting it again in the future. If you can, start healthy habits now so that you can hold onto your natural teeth for as long as possible and stop gum disease from permanently damaging your smile. Even if you have already suffered tooth loss, your healthy habits moving forward can enable you to enjoy a strong smile again with your replacements!

About the Practice

Amherst Dental Group is locally owned and operated in Williamsville. Our experienced and skilled dentists can easily identify gum disease and offer services to take control of the infection. As a team, we are concerned with your overall health in addition to the condition of your mouth, which means we highly encourage all patients to come in regularly for checkups and cleanings. If you would like to schedule an appointment to either prevent or treat gum disease, contact us online here or call our office at 716-689-8882.