By Raxit Aryal ‐ Associate Dentist, Ferring Dental Practice.
The main cause of gum disease is bacteria found in dental plaque. This is the sticky white film that forms on your teeth daily. The bacteria produce poisons that irritate the gums and cause them to become inflamed, turn red and bleed easily, particularly when brushing. This is known as gingivitis, and can be resolved with effective oral hygiene and scaling. If left for longer, gingivitis may progress into periodontitis.
Approximately 80% of the population have some form of periodontal disease, also known as gum disease. These diseases are often painless until the much later stages, and therefore can go undetected until it is too late to save the teeth. If left untreated, it can destroy the bone and tissues that surround the teeth, causing them to become loose, painful, and eventually be lost. Other signs and symptoms of gum disease include bleeding gums, bad breath or a bad taste, swellings and abscesses, receding gums, and loose teeth- although not everybody has these symptoms. The end point is loose teeth that can’t be saved. There is also evidence supporting the relationship of gum disease being a risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.
Diabetes: There is evidence periodontal disease can increase blood sugar levels in people with diabetes
Rheumatoid arthritis: Evidence showing certain strains of bacteria found within periodontal disease patients may cause inflammatory responses playing a role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis which itself is an long term inflammatory disease.
Cardiovascular disease: Long established data showing bacteria found within chronic periodontal disease patients are risk markers for cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke
Chronic kidney disease: A significant association between inflammation in periodontal tissue and chronic kidney disease through inflammatory pathways.
The research goes on- the link between periodontal disease and systemic health is clear. Our mouths are great indicators to our general overall well-being and inflammation lies at the heart of this.
HOW TO TREAT IT
1. Oral hygiene instruction: it may sound simple, but cleaning your teeth and gums effectively is not an easy task to achieve. We need to teach you how to be able to carry out effective homecare in order to treat the disease,
2. Mechanical cleaning: this involves removal of all the plaque, bacteria, toxins, inflamed tissue and hard calculus deposits above and below the gumline, along with smoothing any restorations, such as fillings, which may be acting as plaque traps.
3. Reassessment: this is carried out two months after the completion of active treatment. At this stage, the pockets are re-measured. The hope is that the gum “sticks” back to the tooth, thereby eliminating the pocket, and therefore the area around the tooth that can harbour infection. It may be that some pockets remain following initial therapy, and reassessment will help determine why this is the case and decisions can then be made about what can be done about it. This may involve further oral hygiene instruction, further scaling, use of antibiotics, or surgical management.
We at Ferring Dental Practice take your gums very seriously. We have not only invested in the latest technologies such as lasers to treat your gum disease, we have invested heavily in our own education to bring to you cutting edge knowledge in the management of this disease. We will provide comprehensive assessment, treatment and maintenance pathways specific to your oral health needs and will work with you to improve your oral health significantly.