How Gum Disease Progresses
Movie courtesy of Patient Care Suite©
Gum disease is most often a slow, progressive infection that takes many years to evolve. Like high blood pressure, it is often "silent;" that is, you may not recognize that you have it. Over time, gum disease can create huge dental problems.
The movie above shows how the gums progressively recede until the teeth become loose. In this case, when the lower teeth are lost, more problems begin with the upper teeth migrating downward, making it hard or impossible to place any kind of artificial restoration without extracting or orthodontically moving the upper teeth.