Gum & Periodontal Care

Gum & Periodontal Care

Cleaning of your teeth to maintain the health of the Gums and Bone supporting your teeth by removing the plaque and Calculus/ Tartar. It helps in removal of acquire stains through Food, Tea, Coffee, Habbits etc

Periodontitis, or gum disease, is a common infection that damages the soft tissue and bone supporting the tooth. Without treatment, the alveolar bone around the teeth is slowly and progressively lost.

The name "periodontitis" means "means inflammation around the tooth." Microorganisms, such as bacteria, stick to the surface of the tooth and in the pockets surrounding the tooth, and they multiply. As the immune system reacts and toxins are released, inflammation occurs.

Untreated periodontitis will eventually result in tooth loss. It may increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, and other health problems.

Bacterial plaque, a sticky, colorless membrane that develops over the surface of teeth, is the most common cause of periodontal disease. If plaque it not removed, it can harden to form tartar, or calculus.

Most cases of periodontitis are preventable through good dental hygiene.

The main aim of treatment is to clean out bacteria from the pockets around the teeth and prevent further destruction of bone and tissue.

Good oral hygiene

Good oral hygiene should be followed daily, even if the teeth and gums are healthy, to prevent infection.

Proper dental care involves brushing teeth at least twice a day and flossing once a day. If there is enough space between the teeth, an interdental brush is recommended.

Soft-picks can be used when the space between the teeth is smaller. Patients with arthritis and others with dexterity problems may find that using an electric toothbrush is better for a thorough cleaning.

Periodontitis is a chronic, or long-term, inflammatory disease. If good oral hygiene is not maintained, it will recur.

Scaling and cleaning

It is important to remove plaque and calculus to restore periodontal health.

A healthcare professional will carry out scaling and debridement to clean below the gumline. This may be done using hand tools or an ultrasonic device that breaks up the plaque and calculus. Root planing is done to smoothe rough areas on the roots of the teeth. Bacteria can lodge within the rough patches, increasing the risk of gum disease.

Depending on how much plaque and calculus there is, this may take one or two visits.

Cleaning is normally recommended twice a year, and possibly more often, depending on how much plaque accumulates.

Advanced periodontitis

If good oral hygiene and non-surgical treatments are not effective, surgical intervention may be needed.

Options include:

Flap surgery: The healthcare professional performs flap surgery to remove calculus in deep pockets, or to reduce the pocket so that keeping it clean is easier. The gums are lifted back, and the tarter is removed. The gums are then sutured back into place, so they fit closely to the tooth. After surgery, the gums will heal and fit tightly around the tooth. In some cases, the teeth may appear longer than before.

Bone and tissue grafts: This procedure helps regenerate bone or gum tissue that has been destroyed. New natural or synthetic bone is placed where the bone was lost, promoting bone growth.

Guided tissue regeneration (GTR) is a surgical procedure that uses barrier membranes to direct growth of new bone and gum tissue at sites where one or both of these are lacking. It aim to regenerate tissue and repair defects that have resulted from periodontitis.

In this procedure, a small piece of mesh-like material is inserted between the gum tissue and bone. This stops the gum from growing into bone space, giving the bone and connective tissue a chance to regrow. The dentist may also use special proteins, or growth factors, that help the body regrow bone naturally.

The dental professional may suggest a soft tissue graft. This involves taking tissue from another part of the mouth, or using synthetic material to cover exposed tooth roots.

Success depends on how advanced the disease is, how well the patient adheres to a good oral hygiene program, and other factors, such as smoking status.