Periodontal Treatments
Periodontal treatment is the specialist cleaning of your teeth and gums to help control the bacteria that can cause gum disease.
Gum disease is caused by the germs (bacteria) which live in your mouth. The bacteria stick to your teeth, irritate the gums and make them bleed. Gum disease can eventually destroy the gums and bones which support your teeth.
Some people get more severe gum disease than others. This may have specific causes such as diabetes or smoking, but some people are just more prone to gum disease.
Gingivitis
If you have gingivitis, your gums will become irritated by the plaque, which is a mixture of food, bacteria and bacterial waste products that can build up on your teeth. If you don’t clean plaque off your teeth regularly, your gums will become red, swollen and shiny, and they may bleed. This is the early stage of gum disease and is completely reversible. If you remove the plaque, your gums will recover. However, if you don’t clean the plaque off your teeth, the gingivitis may develop into periodontitis.
Signs to look for are:
- Bleeding gums when you brush your teeth
- Red and swollen gums
- Bad breath
- Receding gums
Periodontitis
In certain individuals, the irritation caused by plaque and tartar and the body’s inflammatory response to it, starts to affect the bone structure supporting your teeth.
As time goes on, the pockets get deeper and more difficult to clean, and the gum and bone recede from the roots, so that some of the root may be visible.
As you lose support for your teeth, they may become mobile. This stage is called periodontitis. Periodontitis refers to a number of inflammatory diseases affecting the tissues that surround and support the teeth.
Periodontitis involves progressive loss of the alveolar bone around the teeth, and if left untreated, can lead to the loosening and subsequent loss of teeth.
Signs to look for:
- A bad taste in your mouth
- A wobbly tooth or teeth
- Gum abscesses (pus that collects under your gum)
Acute necrotising ulcerative gingivitis
ANUG, also known as ‘trench mouth’, is a very severe type of gum disease and can develop suddenly. It can be treated with good dental hygiene, including brushing your teeth twice a day, and antibiotics.
Signs to look for are:
- Painful ulcers that develop suddenly and bleed easily
- Bad breath
- A receding of the v-shaped bits of gum between your teeth
- Feeling generally unwell
- If you have any of these symptoms, you should give us a call straight away
What happens during periodontal treatment?
We will remove the ‘tartar’ (calculus) caused by bacteria from above the gum line, by cleaning (scaling) the teeth.
If the disease has already destroyed some of the support for your teeth, we will also remove bacteria and calculus from under the gum. This will be achieved by cleaning (scaling and instrumenting) your teeth. This involves the careful use of fine powered and hand operated cleaning instruments on the tooth surfaces.
Periodontal treatment is given over several appointments and the number of appointments you will need depends on how severe and widespread your disease is. Patients with more aggressive forms of gum disease may be asked to take short courses of antibiotics after treatment.
We will also teach you the best methods of cleaning your teeth and gums to remove the bacteria. Treatment will be most effective if you clean your teeth thoroughly, on a daily basis.
If you have any questions about our periodontal treatments, then please don’t hesitate to contact us – or head over to our FAQ’s page.
