Periodontal

Dear Patients,

As of October 12th 2022, MyDental Clinic Cherrywood has ceased trading. From this date, the following dentists: Dr. Rohshini Vennu, Dr. Alejandro Lite, Dr. Alba C. Urdaneta and Dr. Luis Gonzalez continue treating their patients at Dental Care Ireland in Cabinteely.

More information

Periodontal Disease

There’s a clue in the meaning of the term ‘periodontal’. It actually means ‘around the tooth’, and in a normal, healthy patient, what you will find around the tooth is healthy gum tissue, which fits snugly and protects both the tooth and the bone below it. If you look closely in the mirror, you’ll spot that there’s a slight v-shaped crevice where the tooth meets the gum line. In a healthy patient, this is usually less than 3 millimetres in depth, which means that your toothbrush can easily penetrate it and clean the space.

When periodontal disease attacks, however, this crevice becomes deeper – and more difficult to clean. It’s also an ideal space for bacteria to thrive in, and if left untreated, you can eventually be faced with tooth loss.

This is why it's so important to keep your gums healthy, and fitting neatly around each tooth for added protection. The biggest threat to your gum tissue is plaque – the sticky form of bacteria that forms on your teeth.

If you don’t remove this plaque by brushing twice a day, along with flossing or using interdental brushes, it starts to absorb some of the minerals in your saliva. These minerals then combine with the saliva to form a hard matter call tartar – you can feel it with your tongue if it happens to you.

Once this has happened, normal brushing won't remove it and you need to visit your dentist for a professional cleaning.

Periodontal Disease: Early Stages

The initial stage of Periodontal Disease is known as gingivitis and you’ll know you have it if your gums become red or swell up or bleed when you use your toothbrush. It’s fairly easily treated at this stage, but if you ignore the symptoms, it will eventually become full-blown periodontitis.

Periodontal Disease: Symptoms

You can spot some of these symptoms yourself, but in case you miss them, regular visits to your dentist will make sure that they’re spotted and addressed immediately.

• Bleeding gums when you are brushing or flossing. Remember that healthy gums should never bleed.
• Signs that your gums are pulling away from your teeth, which can expose the roots of the tooth.
• Gums that become tender or red or swollen.
• Bad breath (particularly when you haven’t experienced it regularly in the past).
• The formation of pus between teeth and gums.
• A change in how your teeth fit together when you bite.
• A loosening of the teeth.

In the advanced stages of periodontal disease, you may experience pain, but by that stage, it may be too late to successfully treat the condition, so please don’t wait till you experience pain – keep a wary out for the above symptoms.

Periodontal Disease: Treatment

How we treat the disease depends, to a large extent, on how quickly we catch the condition. If addressed when it is still only gingivitis, treatment is very successful and no long-term damage usually occurs. We normally carry out a thorough cleaning and advise you on how to improve your dental hygiene regime.

If the disease progresses further, however, it must be treated quickly and effectively. This may involve a process known as Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing.  We use a small scaler, combined with a special antimicrobial solution. This removes not just any plaque that’s formed, but also the tartar.

Once we’ve removed the tartar, we plane the root surfaces to make sure that bacteria and plaque are discouraged from accumulating further.

For more serious cases, the Periodontal Scaling and Root Scaling process may also involve inserting time-released antibiotics into the ‘pocket’, to reduce any inflammation and speed up the process of healing.

Gingivectomy

In cases where gum disease (periodontitis) cannot be cured by treatment with antibiotics or root planning and scaling, then your dentist may need to perform a gingivectomy. The treatment removes and reshapes any loose or diseased gum tissue that may have formed between the teeth and the gums.

The procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic and loose gum tissue may be removed with laser treatment. To help your gums heal afterwards, your dentist can put a form of dental putty over the gum line, but you can eat soft foods while this is in place.

It will typically take a few days – and perhaps over a week in some cases – for your gums to fully heal. If you're experiencing any pain, you can take some over-the-counter painkillers.