PERIODONTICS
Nurturing healthy foundations for confident smiles, where gums and teeth unite in harmony
Periodontics
The term “Periodontics refers to a kind of dental practice involved with the diagnosis, prevention, and cure of a range of dental diseases. These diseases are called periodontal diseases and are caused by bacteria that damage the gums, periodontal ligaments that hold the teeth in the mandible, and the underlying bone that supports the teeth. This results in teeth weakness and an increase in susceptibility to loosening and leads to its replacement with implants and bridges or removal of the tooth. The medical personnel specialized in this field are called Periodontists. They also specialize in fixing dental implants and performing periodontal dental surgeries.
Periodontal Diseases and their cause
Periodontal diseases are a result of adhesive coatings on the surfaces of teeth called plaques which are caused by bacterial infection and stem from dismal oral hygiene practices. These plaques contain materials that contaminate and spread toxins to the gums causing inflammation and an abnormal reddening of the gum which damages the teeth and their supporting structures giving room for more plaques to form. This causes total damage to the teeth if this condition is left unchecked.
Other factors affecting your gum health include:
Plaque Traps
Plaques form in dental structures such as teeth that are decayed, cracked, crowded, or poorly filled teeth. These conditions increase the chances of plaques developing in these areas and make it harder to correct with normal oral hygiene practices.
Negative Practices
Less care for your oral cavity can leave you with several health problems. Practices such as oral piercings, smoking, bad nutrition, alcohol, bad oral hygiene, stress among others are factors that lower your body’s immunity and increase the risks of having a periodontal infection.
Hormones
Hormonal changes in humans particularly women during vital periods of their lives such as puberty or menopause cause significant changes in the tissues of their bodies. The probability of developing a periodontal infection is increased especially for them if the tissue changes are seen to occur in the mouth region.
Body systems
Poor resistance due to weakened immune systems from certain diseases such as leukaemia, cancers, HIV, malnutrition, and the likes are likely to cause periodontal infection and gum disease for most individuals living with them.
Certain medication
Some medications are known for having dismal effects on gums. Hence, It is advisable to let your dentist in on the kinds of medication you take so that ingestion of the wrong medication or contraindications for antibiotics are avoided.
Genetics
Certain traits and characters in the family tell a lot about an individual’s history and usually includes conditions that give room for getting a periodontal infection.
Tobacco Usage
The content of Tobacco makes it possible for the development of calculus on gums, teeth, bones, and the fibres that join them together. Nicotine and tar reduce one’s chances of staying orally healthy by the reduction of the healing process after a periodontal procedure and increases the likelihood of the development of cancer orally.
Periodontal Disease Types
Periodontal diseases come in different forms. Its most occurring forms are:
Rapidly progressive Periodontitis
This is an aggressive form of periodontitis that involves symptoms like familial aggregation, bone damage and loss, and rapid attachment loss. It usually occurs in individuals that are healthy clinic-wise.
Gingivitis
It is a mild type of periodontitis that results from inflammation of the gums and gingivae. Diagnosis and cure for this disease are possible with skilled treatment and good care by skilled periodontists. Its symptoms usually include red, swollen, and bleeding gums with less pain.
Periodontitis due to Systemic Diseases
This form of periodontitis usually occurs at early onset and is always linked with a few systemic diseases like diabetes.
Chronic Periodontitis
This form of periodontitis is the most commonly occurring and usually happens at any time in life although it’s common in adults. The disease leads to inflammations occurring in the supporting structures of the oral cavity, rapidly progressive attachment which is oftentimes slow but sometimes occurs rapidly with bone damage. The disease is commonly known for the formation of pockets and receding gingiva.
Periodontal diseases causing necrosis
This form of Periodontal disease usually occurs in individuals suffering from certain systemic diseases like HIV, immunosuppression among others, and is frequently known as tissue necrosis of gingivae, ligaments, and the underlying bone of the mandible.
Why would you need to book an appointment with a Periodontist?
There are a lot of reasons to see a Periodontist. Ordinarily, the main reason for doing this is essential for routine dental checkups, dental floss, and exams to prevent a recurrence of the disease. Although it only takes a little amount of plaque to result in tooth damage and gum disease, visiting a periodontist is an option considered when these conditions lead to severe or chronic gum damage. Also, visits to the periodontists can be purely cosmetic with dental surgeries and treatment to correct defects in smiles, defective teeth, gum recession, and other conditions.
The main aim of periodontics is to provide a series of solutions to a range of dental problems, repair damaged gums, restore your smile by improving your teeth and gum health, and dental health generally makes your teeth last for a long time.
Who specializes in treating periodontal diseases?
Specifically, periodontists are essential specialists to treat these sorts of diseases. Although, in reality, general dentists are capable of handling such dental issues, some more advanced than others, your teeth need the special care they deserve and that’s why most times, periodontists are recommended for most patients with these dental issues. It’s not mandatory to be referred to a periodontist, you could see one yourself because routine checks are needed to assess your oral health.
What are the symptoms of Gum Disease?
Gum diseases are oftentimes painless meaning there’s a chance that you might not be aware of any occurrence of the disease until the disease has reached a severe stage. Thus, it’s imperative that you visit your dentist or see a periodontist whenever you start to experience one of these symptoms listed below.
Inflamed and reddened gums
Bleeding gums on flossing or blushing
Loose gums and teeth
Suppurative gums
Persistent halitosis
Increase or decrease your bite force and fit of replaceable dentures.
What to look forward to when visiting a periodontist?
On arrival at the Periodontists,’ the specialist takes out your patient history for thorough evaluation and review and carefully assesses your oral cavity.
On evaluation, the periodontist lookout for loose gums and teeth, receding gums, or other issues relating to the jaw. Then using a piece of miniature measuring equipment, he/she takes measurements of the periodontal pockets in the cavity. Also, equipment such as X-rays can be utilized to evaluate bone health underneath the gumline. After the final evaluation and the damage is discovered, the periodontist prescribes a solution plan to solve the issue.