Gum disease is diagnosed by testing the color and firmness of your gums, checking for gum pockets and assessing the mobility of your teeth.
A change in the way you bite over a period of time may also be a symptom of periodontal disease.
Treatment starts with scaling and root planning, your dentist or hygienist uses an ultrasonic machine that vibrates the tartar off the teeth.
Hand held instruments are then used to smooth the roots.
These two steps remove most of the bacteria, and allow the gums to adapt themselves back to the teeth, or at least to shrink enough to eliminate the pockets that have formed.
If you have more advanced gum disease, however, surgical intervention may be a means to radically slow its progress and hopefully prevent any further activity.
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may be sent to a specialist who treats gum disease on a regular basis.
Surgery is performed either under general anesthetic, or in the dentist's chair under local anesthetic, your dentist will discuss which options are best for your particular case.
The aim of the surgery is to remove tartar from the deep pockets in the gums, and to reduce their appearance by means of plastic surgery.
The surgical techniques involved rearrange the gum tissue into a shape that is easy to clean.
Damaged bone can also be surgically re contoured, and in very advanced cases, the teeth are propped up with temporary splints.
There are also some other possible treatments, all dependent on the stage of the disease and the damage that has occurred.
These include bite adjustment, orthodontic treatment, the use of a retainer and even antibiotics; although these procedures must be combined as they are not effective in isolation.
Unfortunately, gum disease, more often than not, is controlled rather than cured, just as one controls diabetes or high blood pressure.
So it is vital, if you are diagnosed and treated for gum disease, that you enroll yourself in a maintenance program that allows your dentist or specialist to monitor your dental health closely.
This also means visiting an oral hygienist regularly every six weeks to three months and ensuring your brushing and flossing techniques are correct.
If you do not control your gum disease at an early stage, you stand to lose all your teeth, not a path most of us want to follow.
The benefits of retaining your natural teeth cannot be underestimated, comfortable chewing, better digestion and a healthy smile, the latter being an important asset to your appearance.
Most importantly, you avoid the pain and discomfort associated with periodontal disease.
A change in the way you bite over a period of time may also be a symptom of periodontal disease.
Treatment starts with scaling and root planning, your dentist or hygienist uses an ultrasonic machine that vibrates the tartar off the teeth.
Hand held instruments are then used to smooth the roots.
These two steps remove most of the bacteria, and allow the gums to adapt themselves back to the teeth, or at least to shrink enough to eliminate the pockets that have formed.
If you have more advanced gum disease, however, surgical intervention may be a means to radically slow its progress and hopefully prevent any further activity.
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may be sent to a specialist who treats gum disease on a regular basis.
Surgery is performed either under general anesthetic, or in the dentist's chair under local anesthetic, your dentist will discuss which options are best for your particular case.
The aim of the surgery is to remove tartar from the deep pockets in the gums, and to reduce their appearance by means of plastic surgery.
The surgical techniques involved rearrange the gum tissue into a shape that is easy to clean.
Damaged bone can also be surgically re contoured, and in very advanced cases, the teeth are propped up with temporary splints.
There are also some other possible treatments, all dependent on the stage of the disease and the damage that has occurred.
These include bite adjustment, orthodontic treatment, the use of a retainer and even antibiotics; although these procedures must be combined as they are not effective in isolation.
Unfortunately, gum disease, more often than not, is controlled rather than cured, just as one controls diabetes or high blood pressure.
So it is vital, if you are diagnosed and treated for gum disease, that you enroll yourself in a maintenance program that allows your dentist or specialist to monitor your dental health closely.
This also means visiting an oral hygienist regularly every six weeks to three months and ensuring your brushing and flossing techniques are correct.
If you do not control your gum disease at an early stage, you stand to lose all your teeth, not a path most of us want to follow.
The benefits of retaining your natural teeth cannot be underestimated, comfortable chewing, better digestion and a healthy smile, the latter being an important asset to your appearance.
Most importantly, you avoid the pain and discomfort associated with periodontal disease.