Periodontics

Why do you need regular preventive care appointments?

Do you have?

Red, swollen, tender, painful or bleeding gums? (ie gingival inflammation)

Gums that have receded?

Persistent bad breath?

A bad taste in your mouth?

Furry teeth or tongue?

Loose teeth, teeth drifting apart causing gaps to appear?

If you answered yes to any of the above you may have periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is caused by infection of the gums through a build up of plaque. Plaque is the thick and sticky film of bacteria on the teeth left after eating. It is very important to brush teeth thoroughly after eating to remove plaque. Left long enough, plaque can form hard deposits of calculus or tartar around the neck of your teeth.

Gingivitis:

In the early stage of gum disease, bacteria in plaque and calculus can damage the gums and cause inflammation or gingivitis. Gingivitis is treated by the dental therapist and involves removing the plaque and calculus after which either topical fluoride application or a non fluoride Tooth Mousse gel is applied to strenghten the teeth against decay.

It is highly recommended to have a scale and clean at least every 6 months to prevent gingivitis getting worse and causing damage to the bone and ligaments supporting the teeth. For some people who have difficulty keeping their teeth clean, 3 monthly cleanings are necessary followed up with thorough brushing 2-3 times a day and flossing once a day.

Periodontitis:

The advanced stage of gum disease is called periodontitis. Periodontitis can cause serious and irreversible damage to teeth, gums and the bone which supports the teeth. If periodontitis is left untreated, gum pockets can form down the side of the teeth resulting in loss of boney support. These teeth can become loose or abscessed and require extraction. Cleaning every three months is needed to halt periodontitis.

The purpose of treatment of periodontitis is to slow down or stop the disease progressing. The benefits of having periodontal treatment is having a mouth that looks and feels healthier, cleaner and no bad breath. Most importantly, periodontal treatment allows a better chance of keeping your teeth for life.

Preventive Oral Health Care

Preventive care appointments are extremely imoportant during pregnancy and breast feeding, while having orthodontic treatment and once crowns and bridges are fitted.

Crown and bridge and preventive care:

Scale and cleans, topical fluoride application or Tooth Mousse are extremely important for patients with crowns and bridges fitted. It's no good spending thousands of dollars on crowns and bridges while neglecting the gums around the teeth. These areas are still prone to plaque and calculus, and if not removed, will undermine the extensive cosmetic treatment already done. Decay can still occur on teeth with crowns if regular good preventive care is not continued.

Orthodontic braces and preventive care:

Plaques gathers around the ortho bands cemented to the teeth and if not thoroughly removed can cause decay. An orthodontist only straightens teeth, they don't check for signs of decay starting to form nor do they clean teeth or give preventive care. There is nothing worse than having beautiful straight teeth and horrible unsightly fillings where the bands used to be because decay was allowed to occur.

Implants and preventive care:

Patients with implants need preventive care just like everyone else. Plaque forming around implants can cause peri-implantitis which can result in implant failure. Our staff at Duncraig Dental Care are trained in implant preventive care using specialized instruments.