Gum disease, or periodontal disease, is a serious infection of the gums, jaw bone and supporting structures of the teeth, caused by toxins produced by specific bacteria that live in our mouth.
If left untreated, the infection can cause serious medical conditions and lead to tooth loss. Poor oral hygiene, smoking, diabetes and a family history of gum disease can influence negatively the progression of the disease.
Our dental hygienist is the best person to look after you if you are diagnosed with periodontal disease, which is divided between:
Gingivitis
It’s where the build-up of plaque and calculus has caused an inflammation of the gums, which appear red and bleed when touched. With a professional clean and thorough home maintenance, gingivitis is reversible.
Periodontitis
It’s when on top of the gingival inflammation, the infection has spread into the jaw bone and around the ligaments that support the teeth. Once the jaw bone has been lost, teeth will have less support and can become loose.
Periodontal treatment and maintenance
Working with your hygienist as a team
The treatment for periodontitis requires a series of “deep clean” appointments, which your hygienist will perform under local anaesthetic using fine ultrasonic scalers and hand scalers. An impeccable home care regime, which we will go through with you, will be fundamental to help the healing process.
Follow up and ongoing maintenance appointments will be required to avoid further jaw bone loss as periodontal disease is a condition that requires life-long follow-ups and maintenance.
Patients in supportive periodontal therapy are scheduled every 3-4 months to help removing the newly formed deposits of calculus.
Call us for more information or book your gum assessment and treatment today.
Cosmetic dentistry offers solutions to enhance the aesthetic appearance of a person’s smile, with the goal of creating beautiful, natural looking smiles while maintaining or improving dental health.
General dentistry focuses on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of common dental conditions, in order to maintain patients’ optimal oral health and their overall wellbeing.
