This Blog was posted by Clearview Dental – your Family Dentist in Milton, Ontario
Gum Gingival Disease
– A huge percentage of the world population suffers from gum diseases. But the majority of them are not even aware of the condition.
Did You Know That The #1 Cause For Adult Teeth Loss Is Gum Diseases?
-It is not easy for an average person to identify gum disease. They will notice it only when the tooth falls out. Most of them do not know that they have gum disease or the severity of their condition.
Are You Aware Of The Fact That HIV Infection Is Possible Through kissing among People With Severe Gum problems?
-There is new case of a woman getting infected with HIV virus after she kissed a man with AIDS, whom she was dating. As both of them were diagnosed with advanced gum disease, it is assumed that the virus was transferred through blood transfer occurred through their gums. More on this page
Do Your Gums Bleed Easily Whenever You Brush, Floss Or Use A Toothpick?
Are Your Gums Red Colored, Swollen Or Painful?
Is There Any Pus Coming From Your Gums When You Rub On Them Hard?
Are Your Gums And Teeth Receding Away From Each Other?
Do You Notice Any Change In The Way Your Teeth Joins Together While You Bite Or Chew On Food Items?
Are Your Teeth Looking Longer Than They Used To Be, Due To Receding Gums?
Are Your Teeth Becoming Loose?
Do You Suffer From Bad Breath?
Is There Any Difference In The Fit Of Your Partial Denture? Does It Still Fit The Same?
If the answers for any of the above questions are true in your case, then you may have gum problems. Get an appointment with your dentist and get your gums checked immediately. You may have to follow up on this with a few more appointments before you can bring the condition under control.
Complete check up of your gums and teeth are done with the help of X-rays, periodontal probing, visual evaluation etc. In case there is evidence of any bone loss, your dentist will request you to undergo surgical or non-surgical
periodontal treatment.
A periodontal probe is a tool to analyze the health of your gums. If you have a healthy gum line, periodontal probe is going to only measure up to 3 millimeter or less. Routine dentist appointments and following up on dentist’s suggestions would help you to maintain healthy gums.
You may find redness and swelling on your gums. There may be plaque and calculus build up near it too. Periodontal probe is measuring between 3 and 5 millimeters. Even in this situation, if there is no bone loss yet, complete
reversal of this condition is possible through proper medical care.
In severe cases where the condition become periodontitis, the plaque and tartar affects the roots of the teeth, the bone which is anchoring the teeth and the ligaments which are attaching the teeth on to the jaw. In this case, the
separation between the gums and the teeth will be further increased. Periodontal probe measurements will be greater than 5 millimeters and this space will be a good hiding spot for bacteria and plaque. If you get the right medical
attention, the condition can be prevented from further worsening.
In the worst case scenario, the plaque and bacteria would destroy most of the bone structure around your teeth. The area below your gum line as well as the root will be covered with calculus. Periodontal probe measurements will be
greater than 8 millimeters and the teeth will start to move whenever you bite some thing. You may start to lose your teeth any time now.
Maintaining Healthy Gums
Sticking to healthy oral care practices can help you to protect your teeth for a very long time. As, three out of every four adults are suffering from periodontal diseases. You must stick to your regular dentist appointments and any procedures suggested by the dentist like X-rays, cleanings etc. Cleanings like scaling and polishing are usually done once every six months. This may be changed due to health of your gums. The difference in acquiring stains and
calculus among different people can make changes in the frequency of procedures.
Regular brushing and flossing at your home is an integral part of maintaining healthy teeth and gums. Flossing is done after brushing, so as to remove any left out food particles between teeth. Any food particles left in your teeth or
gums can attract bacterial activity and can be reason for tooth decay or gingivitis. Ideally, you should brush after every meal. Brushing before going to bed is the most important one of these.
Scaling And Root Planing
Non-surgical treatments like scaling and root planning are initial treatments provided for patients with periodontal problems. In these procedures, the dentist will try to remove any plaque or calculus built in between the person’s
gums so as to avoid infection.
After applying a local anesthetic and numbing the patient’s gums, the dentist will remove any plaque or calculus built up between the gums. This procedure got its name, as it is similar to removing scales of a fish. If there is any hard
calculus left after hand scaling, the dentist will use ultrasonic vibrating tools to get rid of them. Next, planing is done so as to smoothen the rough surface created after scaling.
The dentist will perform planing on your teeth in a similar fashion as a carpenter planes wood after he makes any thing out of it. This will remove any possibility of irritation for your gums while they grow back. As the gums are no longer irritated by the calculus and plaque, they are bound to shrink and get tighter around your teeth. Bleeding gums can also be controlled or totally stopped through scaling and planing.
After these non-surgical procedures are completed, the gums are given time to completely heal. The dentist will use periodontal probe to see if the gum pockets have reduced back to normal levels. The ideal pocket length aimed by
your dentist would be any thing between one to three millimeters.
After Scaling And Root Planing
For many people suffering from periodontal problems, scaling and root planing can provide the desired results. As these procedures are potent in removing infection causing plaque and calculus, the risk of damage to near by tissues
would be gone. Another plus point for these treatments are the non-surgical nature of these. Most people are scared of surgical procedures. The effectiveness scaling and planing is at its best during the initial stages of
periodontal problems.
But the effectiveness of scaling and planing won’t last forever. Most people will have to repeat the process once in every two years or so. This is necessary to get rid of the calculus accumulated in the meantime.
Scaling and planing works the best during periodontitis, which is the name used for describing the initial and medium stages of periodontal problems.
Once the dental problems are in advanced stage and already caused extensive bone loss, you may have to go for surgical procedures to fix your problem.
Every one who undergoes surgical or non-surgical periodontal procedures must get their teeth cleaned as prescribed by their dentist. The ideal duration would be once every three to four months. This is a must for them to prevent their dental problems from coming back again.
As periodontal problems are bound to recur, follow up treatment from your dentist is a must. Otherwise, the condition will keep on coming back and will damage some more bone each time, until you may be forced to extract the tooth.
Non-surgical periodontal procedures like scaling and planing are supposed to make your gums healthier by removing the plaque accumulating pockets present near the teeth and thus reducing chances of infection.
Tobacco is a major contributor towards dental decay and ultimately leading to tooth extraction. If you cannot
do without tobacco then make sure you follow a strict oral hygiene routine like brushing teeth at least 2 times a day and flossing the teeth.
Carry out dental bleaching and re-contouring whenever your dentist asks you to, it can reduce the severity of dental
decay in future.
Preventive Dentistry is always better than curing a dental disease.
