Healthy gums mean a healthier smile.
If you see or taste blood when you brush and floss your teeth, it's time for a trip to your dentist to see if gum disease is the cause.
Gum disease is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in adults, responsible for 70 per cent of adult tooth loss and affects nearly three out of every four adults. With years of experience, your gum disease dentist in Brisbane can prevent the development of bacterial plaque with specialised procedures.
Preventing gum disease is not just a job for your dentist – all of our patients are encouraged to maintain healthy gums with daily brushing and flossing and to come in for their six-month active maintenance visits.
Maintaining Periodontal Health
Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is a common infection of the gum and jawbone. Researchers continue to uncover links between gum disease and systemic conditions including heart disease, diabetes and respiratory illnesses.
Since periodontal disease is often painless, many people find themselves in advanced stages of the condition before realising the negative impact of the infection. Routine dental exams and teeth cleans will alert our Brisbane dentists to any signs of gum disease that you might miss at home.
The good news is that our Active Maintenance Programme will keep you healthy. We will recommend regular dental visits (usually every six months) and personalised dental cleanings that address your unique oral conditions.
What causes gum disease?
The primary cause of gum disease is through the build-up of plaque on your teeth. If not removed, either by brushing or at your dental check-up, then this bacterial plaque will harden into tartar, also known as calculus. Plaque and tartar produce the toxins that can lead to gum disease
How will I know if I have gum disease?
Some of the signals of gum disease include:
- Inflamed and red gums
- Gums bleed when clean your teeth
- Pockets between your tooth and gum
- Consistently bad breath
- Mobile or shifting teeth
Often many patients don’t experience pain until gum disease has become advanced so if you experience one or more of the above symptoms, then it is wise to check with us on your next active maintenance visit to check if there is any gum disease present.
Treatments for Gum Disease at Alderley Dental
In order to save your teeth, it is crucial to catch periodontal disease in the early stages. Common periodontal treatments include:
- Scaling and root planing: which involves getting rid of plaque and tartar near the location of the tooth and evening out the root surfaces.
- Replacement of defective fillings: If a filling is contributing to gum disease, it may need to be reshaped or replaced.
- Instruction: demonstrate how to improve your oral hygiene at home
- Quit smoking: Smoking greatly increases the risk of gum disease and reduces the chances of successful treatment.
- Serious or highly developed cases of gum disease may need a referral to a specialist periodontist, who performs a surgical procedure to remove the toughened plaque build-up and re-contour the bone structure that has been damaged.
Smoothing the root surfaces and repositioning of the gum tissue will be performed during this process to ensure your teeth and gums can subsequently be easier to clean and maintain.
