Periodontics - Gum Treatment
Plaque is a mixture of food, bacteria and bacterial waste products that build up on your teeth after eating. When plaque is left on your teeth, it irritates your gums. This is the early stage of gum disease known as gingivitis. If gingivitis is not treated, the gums begin to pull away from your teeth, leaving a little pocket around the tooth. This pocket traps plaque that can't be reached with brushing. Plaque that is not removed hardens to tartar (calculus). Plaque and tartar build up causes further irritation.
The irritation caused by plaque and tartar gradually starts to affect the bone structures around your teeth. As time goes on, the pockets get deeper and more difficult to clean, and the gum and bone move back from the roots, so that some of the root may be visible. This can make your teeth wobbly. This stage is called periodontitis.
Periodontitis refers to a number of inflammatory diseases affecting the tissues that surround and support the teeth. Periodontitis involves progressive loss of the alveolar bone around the teeth, and if left untreated, can lead to the loosening and subsequent loss of teeth. Periodontitis is caused by bacteria that adhere to and grow on the tooth's surfaces, along with an overly aggressive immune response against these bacteria. A diagnosis of periodontitis is established by inspecting the soft gum tissues around the teeth with a probe and radiographs by visual analysis, to determine the amount of bone loss around the teeth.
Unfortunately, periodontal diseases are never cured, but they can be controlled by an effective oral hygiene regime incorporating both the patient and the Dental team. This includes debridement by the Dentist and patient, and in some cases medicaments to remove bacteria (chlorhexidene) or encourage periodontal tissue regeneration (emdogain - Click here for more info)
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