Periodontitis is a severe inflammation of the gums which affects the gums and bone around the teeth. When this inflammation is not treated, the teeth can become loose and you may, eventually, lose your teeth.
Signs and symptoms that may indicate periodontitis are:
• Swollen gums
• Redness of the gums
• Sensitive gums
• Bleeding gums
• Receding gum line, which causes your teeth to look longer than before
• Larger spaces between your teeth
• Pus between your teeth and gums
• Bad breath
• A persistent bad taste in your mouth
• Loose teeth
In nearly all cases, periodontitis is caused by a bad or ineffective mouth hygiene and care, and a lack of preventive dental care. Smoking and stress are factors that can exacerbate the situation.
Periodontitis starts with plaque. Plaque is a sticky layer, mainly consisting of bacteria, and which attaches itself to the teeth.
When this sticky layer is not regularly and effectively removed with, for example, a toothbrush or interdental brushes, it can become hard and turn into tartar. This hard layer can become a harbor for new bacteria. Tartar cannot be removed by brushing your teeth, this can only be done by a dental hygienist or dentist.
The longer dental plaque and tartar remain attached to the teeth, the more damage they cause. In the beginning, it will just be the gums (gingiva) that show inflammation. This inflammation of the gums is the first stage of periodontitis, and is called gingivitis.
When the inflammation lasts for a longer period of time, spaces (pockets) are formed between the tooth and the gums. The inflammation will cause the pockets to become deeper over time, which results in the loss of bone tissue. When too much bone is lost, you can lose your teeth. And when periodontitis is not treated, it can also affect your general health. This is especially the case with people suffering from diabetes or cardiac patients.
In order to establish (the severity of the) periodontal disease, we will carefully listen to your complaints after which we inspect your mouth and gums. This is done by:
1. Measuring the depth of the space (pocket) between your tooth and the gum. This is done by carefully sliding a thin metal probe along the tooth until it reaches the bottom of the pocket. With healthy pockets, this depth is usually between 1 and 3 mm.
2. Making X-rays in order to assess bone loss at locations where the pockets are deep.
All this information is used to make a clear diagnosis and to determine an individual treatment plan. We will then discuss this plan with you, as well as the various necessary steps for the periodontal treatment.
The purpose of this periodontal or gum treatment is a thorough cleaning of the pockets and preventing further receding or breakdown. The key to success is achieving and maintaining a perfect oral hygiene.
The first step of the treatment is cleaning underneath the gums. This is done with by using special instruments that mechanically remove plaque and tartar from underneath the gums. We often do this in a few sessions and, when necessary, we can give a local anesthetic to numb the gums before we start the cleaning. Three months after all the pockets have been cleaned, the specialist will check your gums again to see whether the inflammation of the gums has gone down and the oral hygiene has improved. When the gums still show signs of inflammation, we can also treat infected areas by gingival flap surgery in order to stop further bone loss, and in some cases
it is even possible that the bone tissue regenerates. Ah fc When the periodontal treatment is successful, it is extremely important that your oral hygiene remains perfect in order to prevent a relapse.
This can include regular checks and professional cleaning taking place every three to six months.
This allows us to keep a close eye on your gums so we can interfere quickly and effectively should there be signs of a relapse.
A. Feiz Barazandeh – Dentist-Endodontist
D. Sokos – Dentist-Periodontist
Dental Clinic Westerpark
1013 TH Amsterdam
Phone: +31 (0)70-7670080