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It starts when the bacteria in plaque (the yellowish film that builds up on teeth) cause the gums to become inflamed. This initial inflammation is gingivitis, which is characterised by red, swollen gums that bleed easily. Gingivitis is usually caused by poor oral hygiene. It is reversible with professional treatment carried out by our hygienists and good oral home care.
Long standing gingivitis can progress to periodontitis. There are a number of types of periodontitis and they all affect the tissues supporting the teeth. As the disease gets worse, the bone anchoring the teeth in the jaw is lost, making the teeth loose and as already mentioned, if left untreated may lead to tooth loss. The main cause of periodontal disease is bacterial plaque, however, other factors, such as smoking, genetics, pregnancy, stress, medications, nutrition and systemic disease, eg diabetes, may also play a part.
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We will discuss all these factors with you in order to ascertain the causes of your periodontal disease, and therefore decide on the best treatment options for you. If you suffer from symptoms such as bleeding gums, bad breath, bad taste, pus around the gums, loose teeth or pain, then a visit to your dentist for a full examination is recommended.
If the dentist makes a diagnosis of periodontal disease, there are a number of treatment options available:
- Initial assessment and full mouth deep cleaning with one of the hygienists followed by a follow-up assessment.
- If a follow-up assessment determines that the tissue around your teeth is still unhealthy and cannot be repaired with non-surgical treatment then we may decide that you need periodontal surgery. This may involve lifting the gum tissue back off the tooth and removing the disease-causing bacteria before securing the tissue back into place. In some cases, irregular surfaces of the damaged bone are smoothed to reduce the areas where bacteria can hide.
Periodontal surgery combined with good daily oral hygiene and regular hygiene visits will increase your chances of keeping your natural teeth, a result desired by both you and us.
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