Gum
disease or Periodontal disease
is a progressive inflammatory disease of
the gingival and the surrounding tissue
(bone) around the teeth. Periodontal
disease is the number one cause of tooth
loss after the age of 30 and it is
believed that around 80% of the
population above the age of 30 may
suffer from this disease, with varying
degrees of severity.
There are
many forms and stages of periodontal
disease. The most common are:
Gingivitis. The first
stage of periodontal disease,
gingivitis, is the mild inflammation of
the gingival caused by plaque build up.
Your gingival will be red,
swollen, and tender.
You may also notice bleeding
while you brush and floss. This stage of
periodontitis is reversible.
Mild
Periodontitis.
Inflammation will spread to the
supporting alveolar bone. Minor bone
loss and the formation of
periodontal pockets, or food
traps, may occur.
Moderate
Periodontitis. In this
stage, there will be increased gingival
recession, moderate to deep pockets,
moderate to severe bone loss,
and mobility of teeth
due to the bone loss.
Severe
Periodontitis. This is
the most serious stage of periodontitis.
Deep pockets, increased mobility of
teeth, movement of teeth out of
position, and visible fistulas (boils)
will be present in this stage. Pus may
develop; bone loss continues, and your
teeth may loosen or
fall out.
Treatments
Treatment will depend upon the
type of periodontal disease and how far
the condition has progressed.
1.
Non-Surgical Treatment.
It will be applied if the patient is
still in the early stages of
2.
Scaling or
Cleaning. It is a
treatment procedure which involves the
instrumentation of the crown and root
surfaces of the teeth. Plaque, calculus,
and stains will be removed from these
surfaces. It is performed on patients
with periodontal disease and is
therapeutic, as apposed to prophylactic
and may precede root planning. It is a
definitive, meticulous treatment
procedure aimed at the removal of
cementum and/or dentin that is rough and
is possibly permeated by calculus, or
even contaminated with toxins or
microorganisms. This procedure can be
used as a definitive treatment or as
part of pre-surgical therapy ("tissue
preparation") depending on how far the
periodontal disease has advanced.
3.
Bone or
Gingival Augmentation.
This is a surgical procedure which uses
a barrier membrane and or bone graft
replacement material placed under the
gum and over the remaining bone support
(ridge or jaw bone) to aid the
regeneration of new bone in an area
where teeth are being extracted or have
already been removed. The graft material
may be taken from the patient's own
body. If not, an artificial, synthetic,
or natural substitute may be used. This
prevents the surrounding bone from
collapsing into the extraction socket
after the removal of a tooth. If this
procedure is not carried out, the ridge
will become narrow and sharp and it will
not be possible to insert an implant or
a comfortable-fitting denture.
4. Post-Op
care. In most cases, the
gums are too tender to brush
post-operatively. We will
provide you with an antibacterial mouth
rinse called chlorhexidine which will
chemically
reach those areas that the tooth brush
will be too sensitive to debride. Warm
salt water
will help to reduce gum inflammation and
an antibiotic is usually prescribed to
prevent
infection. Analgesics (pain medication)
can be used if the pain becomes severe. |
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