Gum diseases (periodontics)

Periodontal (gum) disease is a major health care issue affecting a large sector of the population. It often goes unnoticed as it is difficult for people to self diagnose. The disease can begin at any age from adolescence onwards and may progress over the years. This is why it is important to make regular visits to your dentist.

Appledore Dental Clinic are committed to providing you with whole mouth care, an important part of this is a detailed and accurate assessment of your gums.

There are many forms of periodontal diseases and the primary cause is due to bacterial plaque located near or below your gum margins.

A mild form of periodontal disease is called gingivitis - this is an inflammation of your gums. This may result in bleeding during brushing, swelling and increased redness of your gum tissue. Many people develop gingivitis and it is primarily due to inadequate bacterial plaque control.

The early stages of gum disease are easily treated by a trained Dental Hygienist, and the infection can be controlled by good oral health care at home. But some people react less favourably to the presence of bacterial plaque around their teeth and gums than others. If the plaque is not removed, these susceptible people develop irreversible and severe breakdown of their tooth supporting tissues.

The severe forms of periodontal disease which may develop, lead to pus formation, tooth mobility and perhaps eventual loss of your tooth. About 10% of the population are at risk of severe periodontal disease in adolescence or adulthood, leading to significant tooth loss and morbidity.

A survey reported in the Annual Report by the Dental Estimates Board, London, HMSO (1991/2) of over 4000 adults showed 75% of 35 to 44 years olds had periodontal disease with some irreversible loss of tooth supporting tissue, whilst 13% had severe forms of periodontal disease. The disease often occurs in short destructive bursts at a variable number of sites in your mouth.
Identification of people at risk of any form of destructive periodontal disease is paramount.

Several important points to remember:

1. Prevention is better than cure

2. Early diagnosis is essential for the best treatment outcome

3. Patients play a key role in determining the success of their periodontal treatment

(a) Meticulous plaque control is essential for long term successful treatment

(b) Commitment to long term follow up care is vital and must include regular hygiene visits

4. Our responsibility

(a) Commitment to regular full periodontal assessments and appropriate treatment for all our patients

(b) Keep up to date with the latest advances and knowledge in management of periodontal diseases

(c) Refer patients to specialists where appropriate.

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Click here for patient guide why do I have to floss

Gums – how to keep yours healthy...

There are lots of really useful tools available to help you remove all the debris that collects in your mouth. The most effective item is the mechanical or electric toothbrush. There are a number of these available at various prices.

The SONICARE brush is the most sophisticated brush that any of our Clinicians have seen. The whole brush heads moves from side to side, and special electronics inside the handle create ultra-sonic waves, similar to the equipment that we use in the Clinic, to break up the debris and remove it.

We first saw this in the USA at a Dental Study Meeting years ago in Chicago, various models have been available for some years in the UK.

The results that have been obtained by using the Sonicare are outstanding.

Toothpastes are now complex and highly researched. Most contain Fluoride, which gets incorporated into your tooth surface and makes your tooth more resistant to decay. An increasing number of toothpastes also contain special chemicals that alter the bacteria in your mouth.

Oral bacteria are highly specialised organisms. They have a special cell wall that is resistant to fluids and chemicals found in your mouth. By adding chemicals that alter the cell wall, and interfere with how the bacteria attach to the plaque layer, it is now possible to increase the effective cleaning potential by manual and mechanical brushing. Since bacteria also depend on sugars to breed and survive, the addition of chemically altered sugars denies bacteria their essential food.

Dental floss is now available containing:

Fluoride, to leave small deposits of fluoride between the contact areas of adjacent teeth that are prone to decay

and

Chlorhexadine to reduce the numbers of bacteria present in this difficult to reach location.

Mouth washes also contain many of the chemicals found in toothpastes, so that some rinses are used before brushing and cleaning, to chemically loosen the attachment of bacteria to the tooth surface, and others after brushing, to increase the fluoride levels in your tooth surface, and reduce the number of bacteria present in your mouth.

Your Appledore Dental Clinic dental team are here to advise you how to care for your teeth. Our aim is to help you attain full dental health, and that includes teaching you how to care for your gums and your teeth and how to avoid injury and infection.

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