Everything You Need To Know About Periodontal Care

Gingivitis is an early stage of gum disease, and if left untreated, it proceeds from bad to worse and becomes periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease is a dental problem where your gums are inflamed, making them tender or sore. If the gingivitis is not treated, the gums eventually recede and pull away from your tooth, making the gum lose. It often results in tooth loss.  You may not realize that your oral health contributes to your overall health, but it is a significant factor.

Periodontitis is more common but can also be easily prevented. It is mainly caused by poor oral hygiene. Practicing oral habits such as brushing, flossing daily, and adhering to scheduled dental checkups can improve the chances of treatment and prevent the chance of developing it.

Causes of Periodontitis

Periodontitis begins as a simple plague, a sticky film mainly consisting of bacteria.  Other causes include:

• Plague deposits are caused by the interaction of sugars and starches in food with bacteria.
• Tartar is caused by the hardening of plague under your gumline. Tartar is more difficult to remove, but professional dental cleaning can remove it.
• Ongoing gum inflammation, pockets can develop between your teeth and gums and can be filled with tartar plaque and bacteria
• Gingivitis

Sign and Symptoms of Periodontitis

The signs and symptoms of periodontitis disease include:

• Gums that easily bleed
• Puffy or swollen gums
• Tender, bright red, or dusky red gums.
• Bad breath
• Pus between your gums and teeth
• Loss of teeth or loose teeth
• Spitting out blood when flossing or brushing your teeth.
• Painful chewing
• A change in how your teeth fit together you chew or bite
• Receding gums
• Developing new spaces between your teeth

Diagnosis and Treatment

If you have the mentioned above symptoms, visit our periodontal care in Calgary. Your dentist will diagnose the disease by:

• Reviewing your medical history to see if any factors are contributing to your problem.
• Conduct an oral exam to inspect if there is tartar, or build-up of plague, or signs of bleeding.
• Measuring the pocket depth between your teeth and gums
• Take dental X-rays to see if there is any bone loss.

Periodontitis treatment can be performed by a periodontist, a dental hygienist, or a dentist at South West Calgary.  The treatment aims to thoroughly clean the pocket depths between the teeth and gums and prevent any further complications.  Treatment can be either surgical or non-surgical, depending on the stage of the periodontitis.

If the disease is not advanced, it can be treated using the following procedures:

• Scaling. This is a process of removing tartar and plaque using a laser or ultrasonic device.
• Root planing. In root planning, the surfaces are smoothened, discouraging any further build-up of tartar and bacteria.
• Antibiotics. Oral or topical antibiotics can help control the infection of bacteria. Topical antibiotics include mouth rinses or insertion of gels  containing antibiotics on the space between your gums and teeth

Advanced periodontitis may require surgical treatment at our dental clinic in Calgary, which may include:

• Flap surgery. This involves the reduction of the pocket depths. The dentist makes some tiny incisions to enable root planning and effective scaling.
• Soft tissue grafts involve reinforcing the soft tissue of the gums if it has receded.
• Bone crafting.The graft may be made up of small fragments of your bone, or it may be donated or synthetic.
• Guided tissue regeneration. It allows the regrowth of the jawbone destroyed by bacteria.
• Tissue stimulating proteins. This involves the application of a special gel to the root of a diseased root. The gel stimulates tissue and bone growth.

Home Remedies

The following home remedies that your dentist at Calgary, SW can help you prevent or reduce periodontitis:

• Brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day or after every meal.
• Use a more rinse recommended by your dentist to help reduce any plague present in your teeth.
• Your dentist can also advise you to use an electronic brush, which is more effective in removing tartar and plaque.
• Using a soft toothbrush to brush your teeth.
• Replacing your toothbrush after every three months.
• Adhere to dental checkups or professional dental cleanings at least twice a year.
• Avoid smoking or chewing tobacco.
• Supplement your flossing and brushing with the use of an interdental cleaner such as an interdental brush, dental prick, or a dental stick that is specifically designed to help you clean in between teeth.