Gingivitis & Periodontitis
What is periodontal disease?
Periodontal disease, also called “pyorrhoea”, is an infection caused mainly by bacteria that affects the tissues that surround and support the teeth, i.e. the gum and bone.
As a result, small deposits of subgingival calculus (similar to small black stones under the gum) form and cause irritation and separation between the gum and the tooth.
Gingivitis
In the early stage of periodontal disease, called gingivitis, the gums can become red, swollen and bleed easily. At this stage, the disease is reversible and can usually be eliminated by daily brushing and flossing.
Periodontitis
In the more advanced stages of periodontal disease, called periodontitis, the gums and bone supporting the teeth can become severely damaged. In more advanced stages, teeth can become loose and even fall out.
Gums and their care are a fundamental part of maintaining a healthy and well cared for mouth. They are the foundations that give stability to teeth and future restorations. That is why they are the main focus of our practice.
In this link you can find answers to many questions about gums and their treatment.
What does the treatment consist of?
It consists of removing the subgingival tartar between the gum and the tooth.
It can be carried out in a completely conservative basic phase or sometimes it needs to be complemented with periodontal surgery.
Basic phase
The basic phase consists of scraping (removing this tartar) and then smoothing the tooth so that it is well polished.
In this phase the gum is not separated, it is already separated by the presence of tartar. Only the tartar is removed and as a consequence the gum sticks to the tooth again.
It is very effective and is often enough to make the patient’s teeth feel stronger and more secure.
Surgical Phase
This is only carried out when the previous phase has not been sufficient. It consists of a small intervention that allows us to better access and completely eliminate the tartar that is deep between the gum and the tooth.
During this small intervention, if the bone conditions allow it, the bone that has been lost due to pyorrhoea can be regenerated using a material that helps our bone to regenerate.
Does the treatment hurt?
NO, for this we have different types of anaesthesia which we apply according to the patient’s needs.
Our aim is for the patient to be as relaxed and comfortable as possible.
Other treatments:
- Cosmetic gingival surgery
- Gum grafting to cover gingival recessions
- Gingivectomy
- Crown lengthening
