A healthy mouth is always a happy mouth. However, when harmful bacteria outnumber inside of your mouth, they will cause numerous disease conditions.
The soft and hard structures around a tooth are known as periodontal tissues, including the gums, periodontal ligament and the underlying jawbone. Any disease condition in these periodontal tissues is known as periodontal or gum disease.
There are two main types of periodontal diseases
- Gingivitis or gum disease
- Periodontitis
The white sticky layer of bacteria and saliva that builds up around a tooth is dental plaque or tartar. The accumulation of plaque around the tooth substance provides the perfect home for bacteria with a continuous supply. In no time, bacteria colonize and disturb the environment around the tooth.
First, bacteria infect the gums leading to gingivitis.
Symptoms of gingivitis may include:
- Reddish swollen gums
- Spontaneous bleeding from the gums
- Pain and discomfort around the tooth
- Bad breath
If left untreated for a long time, gingivitis will progress into periodontitis, even destroying the underlying jawbone. A healthy jawbone is mandatory to support the tooth. Bacteria will gradually eat away the bone, giving rise to the tooth’s mobility and ultimately making the tooth fall off.
When the gums around the tooth recede, and bone resorbs, the periodontal pocket around the tooth widens. More plaque will accumulate and provide space for bacteria to proliferate. Unfortunately, the patient cannot sanitize such deep pockets with brushing and flossing.
Then it is necessary to address the periodontal diseases of a dental surgeon. Professional scaling will eliminate superficial and deep plaque and tartar in the mouth, thus restoring the natural depth of the periodontal pockets.
Professional cleaning using either more sophisticated devices like ultrasonic scalers or traditional hand scalers and curettes facilitates eliminating hardened plaque and infected soft tissues from the teeth. Your dentist will polish the teeth at the end of the scaling giving you a new bright smile.
Sometimes aggressive and severe periodontal diseases may need surgical procedures to correct them. London Specialist Dentists have one the best team of gum specialist and periodontist in London.
You can also fill and submit our online periodontal self-assessment form and on of our periodontist will review your answers and get back to you.
The main objective of a professional cleaning and minor regenerative surgical intervention is to regain some of the lost bone and other tissues by slowing down the progression of the disease and achieving a state of health in the gums so that the patient can maintain good dental hygiene from there onwards with simple home care methods.
It is normal to experience tooth sensitivity, slight mobility, and bleeding from the gums after a professional cleaning and minor surgical procedure. Yet it will recover soon in three to seven days.
Periodontal diseases are preventable. You don’t need sophisticated and expensive preventive measures to avoid periodontal diseases. Just maintaining proper dental hygiene measures is enough to prevent plaque accumulation and fight harmful bacteria. So, brush your teeth regularly, at least twice a day after breakfast and especially before bed at night, floss at least once a day, take a healthy balanced diet full of nutrients and and if you are in London visit our dental hygienist in our Knightsbridge, London clinic regularly.
