Periodontal Therapy
Gum disease is an oral infection caused by bacterial growth on your teeth. Bacteria that can be found in plaque and tartar (calculus) cause a semi-autoimmune response which then causes the inflammation and micro ulceration of the gums which eventually damages the bone. Gum disease is preventable. It can be treated and kept under control with regular cleaning sessions and check-ups, preventing further problems.
At Diss Dental Health Centre we will be able to treat your gum disease with safe and effective periodontal therapy.
Gum disease is a very serious problem
- Gums that bleed
- Bad breath that doesn’t respond to treatment
- Pockets forming around the teeth
- Damage to bone tissues
- Teeth that feel loose or start to shift
- Formation of pus around the teeth
Support Periodontal Therapy
Scaling and polishing your teeth is one of the most important ways to keep your mouth healthy and clean. Everyone gets some plaque on their teeth which you can brush off very easily. If that plaque is left, it comes into contact with calcium in saliva and hardens to form tartar otherwise known as calculus.
If it’s left for a few days it may cause gingivitis – bleeding when you brush. If it’s left for years or even months it can attack the gums and the bone causing loose teeth and bad breath (periodontal disease).
Periodontal disease and poor oral hygiene is related to the health of the patient and it has been linked with many general ‘Inflammatory health conditions’ such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and several other general health problems.
Smoking makes gum disease a lot worse. Contact the NHS for various ways to support smoking cessation.
Also, if you are diabetic and your diabetes is poorly controlled you are more likely to suffer from gum disease. Speak to you GP or the practice nurse at your Doctor’s practice to keep you blood sugar at safe levels.
Scaling and polishing need to be carried out carefully and thoroughly to avoid all these issues. Hygienists don’t just quickly clean teeth, they spend the time to make sure all calculus or tartar is gone, they polish the teeth to make them smooth so they feel great, and they spend time ensuring you can keep your teeth this way.
Dental hygienists spend most of their time trying to help you to prevent and manage gum disease, they play an important part in dental health and are mainly concerned with preventative health care.
Treatment
Periodontal treatment will depend on the type and severity of the disease. We will evaluate for periodontal disease and recommend the appropriate treatment.
Good oral hygiene practices and regular hygiene care are essential to maintaining dental health and keeping periodontal disease under control.
Air polishing (Silcy)
A method of cleaning stains and plaque off teeth. It uses a fine jet of air, water and fine particles to gently remove staining caused by tea, coffee, red wine etc resulting in an improved appearance of teeth.This is often done in collaboration with other gum treatments by the hygienist to improve oral health and appearance to teeth.