| Gum
disease or Periodontal disease is
a progressive inflammatory disease of the
gingival and the surrounding tissue (bone)
around the teeth. Periodontal disease is
the number one cause of tooth loss after
the age of 30 and it is believed that around
80% of the population above the age of 30
may suffer from this disease, with varying
degrees of severity.
There are
many forms and stages of periodontal disease.
The most common are:
Gingivitis.
The first stage of periodontal disease,
gingivitis, is the mild inflammation of
the gingival caused by plaque build up.
Your gingival will be red, swollen,
and tender. You
may also notice bleeding
while you brush and floss. This stage of
periodontitis is reversible.
Mild Periodontitis.
Inflammation will spread to the supporting
alveolar bone. Minor bone loss and the formation
of periodontal pockets, or
food traps, may occur.
Moderate Periodontitis.
In this stage, there will be increased gingival
recession, moderate to deep pockets, moderate
to severe bone loss, and
mobility of teeth due to
the bone loss.
Severe Periodontitis.
This is the most serious stage of
periodontitis. Deep pockets, increased mobility
of teeth, movement of teeth out of position,
and visible fistulas (boils) will be present
in this stage. Pus may develop; bone loss
continues, and your teeth may loosen
or fall out.
Treatments
Treatment
will depend upon the type of periodontal
disease and how far the condition has progressed.
1.
Non-Surgical
Treatment. It will be applied
if the patient is still in the early stages
of
2.
Scaling or
Cleaning. It is a treatment
procedure which involves the instrumentation
of the crown and root surfaces of the teeth.
Plaque, calculus, and stains will be removed
from these surfaces. It is performed on
patients with periodontal disease and is
therapeutic, as apposed to prophylactic
and may precede root planning. It is a definitive,
meticulous treatment procedure aimed at
the removal of cementum and/or dentin that
is rough and is possibly permeated by calculus,
or even contaminated with toxins or microorganisms.
This procedure can be used as a definitive
treatment or as part of pre-surgical therapy
("tissue preparation") depending
on how far the periodontal disease has advanced.
3.
Bone or Gingival
Augmentation. This is a
surgical procedure which uses a barrier
membrane and or bone graft replacement material
placed under the gum and over the remaining
bone support (ridge or jaw bone) to aid
the regeneration of new bone in an area
where teeth are being extracted or have
already been removed. The graft material
may be taken from the patient's own body.
If not, an artificial, synthetic, or natural
substitute may be used. This prevents the
surrounding bone from collapsing into the
extraction socket after the removal of a
tooth. If this procedure is not carried
out, the ridge will become narrow and sharp
and it will not be possible to insert an
implant or a comfortable-fitting denture.
4. Post-Op
care. In most cases, the
gums are too tender to brush post-operatively.
We will
provide you with an antibacterial mouth
rinse called chlorhexidine which will chemically
reach those areas that the tooth brush will
be too sensitive to debride. Warm salt water
will help to reduce gum inflammation and
an antibiotic is usually prescribed to prevent
infection. Analgesics (pain medication)
can be used if the pain becomes severe.
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