Periodontics is the part of dental practice that is concerned with treatment to prevent or arrest the spread of periodontitus (gum disease) in the mouth. Gum Disease is the leading cause of tooth loss amongst adults in the U.S.

There are four stages of periodontitus that range from gingivitis, an inflammation of the gum tissue, to advanced Class 4 periodontitis, where large amounts of gum tissue and bone surrounding the teeth have been destroyed.

There are several signs that are warning signals for possible periodontal disease.

• Bleeding of the gums when you brush or floss.
• Gums that are swollen, tender or red in color.
• Receding gum line around the teeth.
• Pus coming from the gums.
• Loose teeth or teeth that have shifted in position.
• Pain in the gums while chewing or brushing.
• Halitosis (bad breath) or a foul taste in the mouth that lingers.
• Changes in your bite or the way your partial dentures fit.
• Extreme sensitivity to hot or cold in the teeth.

This cause of gum disease is plaque, which is an unseen film of bacteria that attaches to the teeth. The bacteria in the plaque mix with sugars in your diet to make acids in your mouth, which irritate the gum tissue causing pain, redness (or inflammatory) and swelling.

If this plaque is not removed each day, your body treats it as a foreign substance, and sends white blood cells to the gum tissue to fight the infection. Unless the plaque is removed, your body's immune system gets so aggressive in trying to eliminate the plaque, that the immune response actually ends up destroying the gum and bone tissue around the teeth. This causes pockets to form between the teeth and the gums. As these pockets deepen it becomes impossible for you to clean all the plaque out of the deepest part of the pocket, and a chronic infection is started. If left untreated this chronic infection can eventually destroys all the sound gum and bone tissue around the teeth, and the teeth then have to be extracted.

Serious periodontal problems here have lead to the loss of a tooth, and has caused the surrounding teeth to decay. Treatment here is possible, and will be successful. But you can see that much work is needed to restore the damage.

Some other factors besides plaque that can cause periodontal disease, include tobacco use, alcohol use, badly aligned teeth, poor fitting dental appliances, poor diet, pregnancy, certain prescriptions medications, diseases such as diabetes, leukemia, liver cirrhosis and anemia. Heredity or genetic traits can play a role as well.

A complete oral examination with x-rays is necessary to diagnose periodontal disease. Adults should have an exam and cleaning procedure done in a dental office at least twice a year. Depending upon the results of this exam, we may recommend various treatments for you depending on the extent and severity of any gum disease found present.

• More frequent dental cleanings. If your disease is early stage and gum pocketing is minor, having our hygienists remove the plaque build-up from the pockets every 3-4 months along with your increased efforts in cleaning your teeth at home may stabilize the situation.
• Deep cleaning (sealing and root planning) which is usually done by the dental hygienist under local anesthesia to remove plaque and calculus (tartar) from below the gum line. The root surfaces of the teeth are also plaved or smoothed so that healthily gum tissue can reattach to the tooth roots.
• Gingivectomy or surgical removal of gum tissue to reduce pocket depth.
• Periodontal flap surgery allows access to the roots of the teeth and the bone in between the teeth in order to facilitate the removal of plaque calculus, and diseased tissue.
• Antibiotic therapies usually in conjunction with one of the treatments above.

HOME CARE BY THE PATIENT IS VITAL TO THE SUCCESS even after major periodontal surgery. The patient plays a major role in the success of this treatment, and co-operation and compliance with the dental professional team is essential to long-term success.

Harbour Landing Dental is please to have a board certified periodontist, on out staff to assist you in the diagnosis and treatment of all your periodonta disease concerns.

In addition, we offer and sell a variety of advanced cleaning products that will help prevent this disease, if used on a regular basis.