Prevention of Gum Disease

As part of our preventative philosophy our trained hygienists, Jane & Sara, offer care including scaling and polishing and advice on improving your oral health by preventing gum disease.

 

Gum disease is caused by bacteria. It is a silent disease; you can have it and not even know it. When your gums are inflamed bacteria from your mouth enter into your bloodstream. This leads to an increased risk for the following serious health problems; heart disease, diabetes, stroke, pre-term births. Also, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and kidney disease are being investigated

Gingivitis

It is important to brush your teeth twice a day as well as inter-dental cleaning (flossing or inter-dental brushes). This will prevent plaque, a sticky substance containing harmful bacterium, to build up around the gums.

The bacteria in plaque can result in the infection and inflammation of gums which can leave your gums looking red and cause them to bleed when brushing.

The build of plaque on teeth can lead to calculus (which is calcified/hardened plaque) which can not be removed using a toothbrush.

Regular visits to the hygienist will help to maintain gingival health.

Periodontitis

When gingivitis is not treated and calculus is left to build up, it may lead to a bacterial infection deeper in the supporting periodontal tissues which is a severe condition known as periodontitus.

Progression of this disease will cause the supporting bone around the teeth to be lost, leading in severe cases to tooth loss.

With regular visits to the hygienist gum disease can be prevented.