What Foods Should You Avoid with Periodontal Disease?

What Is Periodontal Disease?

It is a term that refers to the infection of the periodontium. The infection impacts the bum tissue and jawbone. Although periodontal disease is prevalent among patients, many only identify it after it has advanced. The two stages of the disease are:

• Gingivitis – is the early and mild stage of infection. At this stage, only the gum tissue is impacted by the bacteria. However, without treatment, gingivitis will advance to the next stage.
• Periodontitis – is an advanced stage of gum disease. Patients with periodontitis have severe and rather irreversible oral symptoms. Drastic treatment protocols may be necessary to address this stage of gum disease.

How to Identify Gum Disease in the Early Stages

Although you are not a dental expert, you can detect gum disease early and seek treatment before incurring severe and irreversible consequences. The best way to identify a problem is by considering symptoms. Common symptoms of gum disease are:

• Swollen and tender gums – your gums may be so tender that they can easily prick and start bleeding.
• Bleeding gums – with slight actions like teeth brushing, flossing, or chewing food.
• Bad breath – especially if it will not go away even after various attempts of reducing it.
• Dental pain – you are likely to experience pain in your jaw and teeth when you have a gum infection.
• Exposed tooth roots – making your teeth look bigger than they typically are.
• Receding gums – you will start to notice your gums pull away from teeth, forming sizeable pockets at the base of your teeth.
• Wobbly teeth – as the infection progresses, your teeth will start shaking. You may even notice your teeth gradually shifting positions.

What Kills Periodontal Disease?

If you have gum disease, you should visit your dentist in Summerland for both diagnosis and treatment. The reason is that you need to determine the severity of the infection before administering treatments randomly. At Summerland Dental Centre, we prescribe topical or oral antibiotics to patients with gum disease in the initial changes. The medication can kill bacteria in your mouth, curbing the advancement of the infection. However, proper treatment entails more measures like root planing and scaling to remove plaque and tartar.

Is Saltwater Rinse Good for Periodontitis?

Saltwater is a great remedy for oral infections at home. The reason is that salt has healing properties that can address infected soft tissues in the oral cavity. For instance, if you have mouth sores, a saltwater rinse can kill active bacteria in the wounds, beginning the healing process. However, it is not enough to rely on saltwater rinses to treat gum disease.

Other Treatment Alternatives for Gum Disease

Your dentist will recommend treatment protocols depending on the severity of your infection. The treatments suitable for treating gum disease are:

• Oral or topical antibiotics.
• Lifestyle changes – like quitting smoking and alcohol consumption.
• Treating underlying health problems – particularly pertaining to diabetes.
• Dictating healthy meal plans.
• Deep cleaning sessions – incorporating root planing and scaling to remove plaque and tartar from your mouth.

Foods to Avoid When You Have Periodontal Infection

Once you have been diagnosed with a periodontal infection, be intentional about the foods you eat. Some of the foods you will have to avoid during and after your periodontal treatment are:

• Sugary foods – sugars in foods can significantly exacerbate gum disease. Besides, sugary foods are a known enemy to your oral health, increasing the risk of dental cavities. Examples of sugary foods are pasta sauces, peanut butter, candies, and fruit yogurts, to mention a few.
• Acidic foods – increase the acidity in the mouth, creating a conducive environment for bacteria overgrowth. Besides, acidic foods can slow down the effectiveness of the medication you are taking to heal your gums. Some examples of acidic foods to avoid are tea, black coffee, lemons, oranges, and pickled vegetables.
• Cold foods – if foods are too cold, they will cause significant dental pain if you have gum disease. It is not to be confused with icing, which can alleviate swelling and pain when you have dental pain. Directly exposing your gums, jaw, and teeth to cold foods will cause unnecessary dental pain that you can otherwise avoid.