Periodontology (Diagnosis and Treatment of Gum Diseases)
Gum Diseases (Periodontal Diseases)
What is periodontal disease?healthy-gums-and-gums
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. These diseases can be treated easily and successfully when diagnosed at an early stage.
Prevention or treatment of gum disease; It also brings other benefits such as protecting natural teeth, providing more comfortable chewing and better digestion.
Periodontal diseases begin with gingivitis. In other words, gingivitis is the early stage of periodontal disease. During this period, the gums are bleeding, red and enlarged in volume. It may not cause much discomfort in the early period. If left untreated, the disease may progress to periodontitis and cause irreversible damage to the gingiva and alveolar bone that supports the teeth.
Periodontitis is a more advanced stage of periodontal diseases. Damage occurs in the alveolar bone along with other tissues that support the teeth. A "periodontal pocket" is formed between the tooth and the gingiva. The presence of periodontal pocket facilitates the localization of the infection and the progression of the disease. As the disease progresses, the teeth begin to shake and may even go into extraction.
What are the symptoms of gum disease?
There are many signs of gum disease;
Bleeding gums while brushing teeth
Red, swollen and tender gums
Gums that can be easily separated from the teeth and moved away
Inflammatory discharge between the teeth and gums
Teeth that wobble or move away from each other (creation of gaps between teeth or increase in existing gaps)
Changes in the relationship between the upper and lower teeth during biting
Change in partial denture fit, deterioration
Persistent bad breath
However, periodontal disease can reach advanced stages without any symptoms. For this reason, it is extremely important to go to the dentist at regular intervals.
What is the cause of gum disease? plaque
The most important cause of gum disease is the sticky and colorless film layer called "bacterial dental plaque" that accumulates on the teeth. Removing dental plaque by daily brushing and using dental floss is the basic requirement for a healthy mouth. If plaque is not effectively removed from the teeth, it turns into an irregular and permeable structure known as calculus or tartar. Harmful products released by the bacteria in the plaque cause irritation in the gingiva. Due to these products, the fibers that tightly bind the gingiva to the tooth are destroyed, the gingiva moves 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 gets deeper, the bacteria go deeper; It progresses to the bone and destruction begins in the alveolar bone that supports the tooth. If the disease is left untreated, eventually the teeth will become loose and may even need extractions.
How to prevent gum disease?
The most important task in the prevention of periodontal disease falls on the person himself. In order to maintain the teeth in a healthy condition, it is necessary to remove bacterial dental plaque with daily oral care procedures (tooth brushing and using dental floss). It is equally important to visit the dentist regularly.
Daily oral care procedures can minimize calculus formation, but may not prevent it completely. A dentist's evaluation of areas that cannot be reached with a toothbrush, dental floss or other cleaning tools is necessary for the removal of existing dental plaque and/or calculus.
What is the treatment of gum disease?
Treatment in the early period of gingival disease includes removing the attachments (plaque and tartar) on the teeth and providing a smooth root surface. This process ensures the removal of bacteria and irritants that cause inflammation in the gingiva. Usually, this treatment is sufficient for the gingiva to adapt to the tooth again or to shrink the gingiva and eliminate the pocket.
In the majority of cases in the early stages of gingival disease, daily effective oral care is sufficient for successful treatment, following scaling, removal of plaque and providing a smooth root surface. 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 eliminate the pocket by shrinking and to provide a smooth root surface and to create a more easily cleanable gingival form.
After periodontal treatment, patients should be regularly examined by a dentist, plaque control and new tartar deposits should be removed from the environment. But it should not be forgotten that; No procedure is more beneficial for maintaining what has been achieved with periodontal treatment than the effective application of daily oral care procedures.
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30.03.2022