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What You Always Wanted to Know about Gum Disease |
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| What all of us have in common is the desire to feel and look good, by having a beautiful smile, healthy gums and a mint fresh breath which will give us professional and social acceptance. Bleeding gums and bad breath can cause many of your near and dear ones to shy away. |
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Many of us tend to avoid our gum problems until a time comes when no amount of treatment is helpful. In order to help you solve all your gum problems before it is too late, we have tried to answer all of your most frequently asked questions (FAQ) about gum disease. |
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| What is Periodontal (Gum) Disease? |
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Periodontal (Gum) disease is the most common cause of tooth loss among adults around the world. In simple words, periodontal disease is a bacterial (germ) infection that can result in tooth loss if not treated. Healthy gum tissue fits snugly around each tooth. Plaque, a sticky film of bacteria that adheres to the teeth, releases toxins and harmful substances that in turn can cause break down of gum tissues. Periodontal disease can be simply explained 3 stages. |
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| Health
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| Gum Disease |
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Enlargement of the gums this can also occur due to certain drugs |
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Bleeding of the gums Seen during examination |
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| Advanced Gum Disease (Periodontitis) |
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| Swollen gums, loose teeth Increased gap between the teeth and gums Gums may begin to pull away from teeth Bad breath/taste |
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| Who is a Periodontist ? |
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A Periodontist is a specially trained dentist in the field of gum related disease. He is equipped with knowledge and expertise to diagnose and treat all gum related problems, which could range from bad breath and stained teeth to aesthetic concerns of receding gums and even mobile teeth. |
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| What are the signs of Gum Disease ?
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- Gums that bleed during tooth brushing and flossing.
- Red, swollen or tender gums.
- Persistent bad breath.
- Gums that have pulled away from your teeth.
- Accumulation of pus between your teeth and gums.
- Loose or separating teeth.
- A change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite.
- Also, a change in the fit of your partial dentures.
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| Common Signs of Gum Disease |
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| How do I keep my Gums Healthy ? |
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There are 2 ways to go about solving the ubiquitous problem of periodontal (Gum)disease.
- Home Care / Personal
- Dental Office Care / Professional
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| Home Care / Personal |
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| Brush your teeth twice a day. Select a suitable medium bristle toothbrush and a good quality dentifrice (toothpaste), brush your teeth two times daily with proper brushing technique. After brushing store the toothbrush in a clean, dry hygienic place. |
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| Most commonly advised Brushing Technique
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| 1. Place bristles along the gum line at a 45-degree angle. Bristles should contact both the tooth surface and the gum line. |
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| 2. Gently brush the outer tooth surfaces of 2-3 teeth using a vibrating back & forth rolling motion. Move the brush to the next group of 2-3 teeth and repeat. |
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| 3. Maintain a 45-degree angle with bristles contacting the tooth surface and gum line. Gently brush using back, forth, and rolling motion along all of the inner tooth surfaces. |
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| 4. Tilt brush vertically behind the front teeth. Make several up & down strokes using the front half of the brush. |
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| 5. Place the brush against the biting surface of the teeth & use a gentle back & forth scrubbing motion. Brush the tongue from back to front to remove odor producing bacteria. |
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| Technique for using Dental Floss |
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| Clean between teeth once a day with dental floss or an interdental cleaner to remove plaque and debris from areas your toothbrush cannot reach. |
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Take adequate floss/tape and wind the floss around the middle fingers (all on one finger and a little on the other finger) and grip floss firmly with index finger and thumb.
Guide the floss gently and carefully between upper and lower teeth using a back and forth motion. (Avoid "snapping" the floss against the gum)
Curve the floss around the tooth, like a "C" shape and gently guide floss up and down each side of tooth to remove plaque. Don't forget to floss behind the very last tooth. Floss a couple of teeth then move the floss along so you are using a new section of the floss. |
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If your gums bleed or feel tender after flossing, do not be alarmed. The gums often take a little time to get accustomed to flossing. If bleeding persists, see your Periodontist.
Visit your dentist regularly, as minerals within the saliva get deposited to form Calculus, commonly known as (Tartar). Only Professional cleaning cab rid your teeth of tartar. |
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| Dental Office / Professional Care |
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Periodontal treatment methods depend on the extent and severity of the disease. If the disease is diagnosed early, a simple procedure called Scaling & Root planing is advocated. In case of severe disease Periodontal Flap Surgery is performed. Do not be alarmed by the mention of the word surgery! It is a fairly simple and completely painless procedure.
To begin with, let us see what Scaling is |
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| SCALING: |
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Cleaning the teeth to remove all hard & soft deposits above and below the gum line. |
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Before Scaling |
After Scaling |
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| ROOT PLANING: |
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Smoothes rough root surfaces so that the gums can heal. |
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Before you see what Periodontal Flap Surgery is all about, one needs to understand why flap surgery is done.
- Due to periodontal disease the gums pull away from the teeth.
- Bleeding and pus discharge from gums is common.
- The space between the gums and teeth deepens (pocketing). In such cases, access to the diseased area becomes very difficult.
- The bone that supports the teeth is considerably weakened and reduced in height.
- Because of which the teeth become mobile and if not treated at this stage, can be lost
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Steps in Flap Surgery |
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| Examination of the site is done with the instrument called probe and local anesthesia is given in the area of surgery. |
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| The diseased gum is then opened or reflected so that the tooth and the bone below are visible. This helps in removing all the infection with ease. |
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| An instrument called a Curette is used to remove any infected deposits from the tooth as well as the gums |
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| After complete removal of all the deposits from the tooth, the gum is closed over the tooth. Sutures (stitches) are placed to secure the gum to the tooth. |
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| Bone Regeneration Technique |
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| 1. The gum flap is opened and the tooth is cleaned to remove all the deposits & infected tissues. |
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| 2. After cleaning a bone graft is placed in the area of bone loss. This bone graft is a simple powder, which imitates bone and helps in re growth. |
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| 3. After placing this powder the gum flap is closed like before and stitches are placed. |
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| The final result is satisfactory. |
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Healthy gums is a healthy you….because your mouth is the mirror to your overall health!!
We at SDM College of Dental Sciences & Hospital are constantly striving to make your oral health better…... |
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