What is periodontology?
It is the specialty of dentistry that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of Gum Diseases.
What are periodontal diseases?
Periodontal diseases are inflammatory diseases that affect the gums and other tissues that support the teeth. Periodontal diseases are responsible for 70% of tooth loss in adults. When these diseases are diagnosed early, they can be easily and successfully treated.
Prevention or treatment of gum disease; It brings with it other benefits such as protecting natural teeth, chewing more comfortably and ensuring better digestion.
Periodontal diseases begin with gingivitis. In other words, gingivitis is the early periodontal disease. During this period, the gums were bleeding, red and grew in volume. It may not cause much discomfort in the early period. If left untreated, the disease can progress to periodontitis, creating irreversible damage to the alveolar bone that supports the gums and teeth.
Periodontitis is a more advanced stage of periodontal diseases. Along with other tissues that support the teeth, damage to the alveolar bone also occurs. A "periodontal pocket" is formed between the tooth and the gum. The presence of periodontal pocket facilitates the placement of infection and the progression of the disease. As the disease progresses, the teeth begin to shake, it can even go to shooting.
What are the symptoms of gum diseases?
Bleeding gums during brushing teeth
Red, swollen and sensitive gums
Gums that can be easily separated from the teeth, moving away
Inflammational discharge between teeth and gums
Teeth that are swaying or gradually moving away from each other (formation of intervals between teeth or increasing existing intervals)
Change of relations between the lower and upper teeth during the bite
Change in partial prosthesis fit, deterioration
Constantly bad breath
However, periodontal disease can reach advanced stages without any evidence. For this reason, it is extremely important to go to the dentist at regular intervals.
What is the cause of gum diseases?
The most important cause of gum disease is a layer of adhesive and colorless film that accumulates on the teeth, called "bacterial dental plaque". Daily brushing and dental floss removal with dental plaque is the basic requirement for a healthy mouth. If the plaque is not effectively removed from the teeth, it turns into an irregular surface and permeable structure known as tartar or tartar. Harmful products released by bacteria in plaque cause irritation in the gums. Due to these products, the fibers that tightly connect the gums to the tooth are destroyed, the gums move away from the tooth and a periodontal pocket is formed. Thus, it is easier for bacteria and their products to progress to deeper tissues. As the disease progresses, the pocket deepens, the bacteria go deeper; they progress to the bone, and destruction begins in the alveolar bone that supports the tooth. If the disease is left untreated, the teeth will eventually shake and they may even need to be removed.
How to prevent gum diseases?
The most important task in the prevention of periodontal disease falls on the person himself. In order to maintain teeth in a healthy state, bacterial dental plaque must be removed with daily oral care procedures (tooth brushing and threading). It is equally important to go to the dentist at regular intervals.
Daily oral care procedures can minimize tartar formation, but may not be able to prevent it completely. Evaluation by a dentist of areas that cannot be reached with a toothbrush, floss or other cleaning tools is necessary for the removal of existing dental plaque and/or tartar.
What is the treatment of gum diseases?
Treatment in the early stage of gum disease includes the removal of attachments (plaque and tartar) on the teeth and the provision of a smooth root surface. This process ensures the removal of bacteria and irritants that cause inflammation in the gums. Usually, this treatment is enough for the gum to adapt to the tooth again or for the gum to shrink and the pocket to be eliminated.
In the majority of cases in the early stages of gum disease, daily effective oral care following tartar cleaning, removal of plaque and ensuring a smooth root surface is sufficient for successful treatment. More advanced cases may require surgical treatment. The aim of this treatment is to clean the tartar in the deep periodontal pockets surrounding the teeth, to ensure the shrinkage and elimination of the pocket and a smooth root surface, and to create an easier gum form that can be cleaned.
After periodontal treatment, patients should be regularly examined by the dentist, plaque control and new tartar deposits should be removed from the environment. However, it should not be forgotten that; In order to maintain what is achieved with periodontal treatment, no procedure is more beneficial than effectively implementing the daily oral care procedures of the person.
What is Gummy Smile? What Can I Do If My Gums Look More Than They Should When I Laugh?
Gummy Smile; It is a situation where the gums appear more than the amount normally considered aesthetic during a smile. If there is such a problem, the way of intervention is determined by considering the amount of appearance of the gums and the periodontal (gum health and bone support) condition of the teeth. Treatment options are to change the gum position by taking it up to the extent permitted by the tissues and/or some lowering of the lip. Both procedures are small surgical procedures that take about 30-40 minutes under local anesthesia. Apart from surgical intervention, Botox application has also become one of the gummy smile treatment options in recent years.
09 Haziran 2024