Looking after your Gums and Treating Gum Disease in Newbury

Why are my gums so important?

It is as important to take care of your gums and the tissues that support your teeth, as it is to take care of the teeth themselves. The gums and the underlying bone, together with various ligaments, maintain the teeth firmly in their rightful position in the jaw, and provide support during chewing.

If professional and personal attention is not given to these, some people can develop gum disease (known as gingivitis and periodontal disease) and eventually risk loosing their teeth.

What is periodontology ?

Periodontology is that branch of dentistry concerned with the well being of the gums and the supporting tissues of the teeth. Several types of periodontal disease can affect the gums.

What if things go wrong and how does gum disease occur?

Gum disease is caused by dental plaque that accumulates around the gum margins of the teeth. Plaque is a mixture of food debris, germs or bacteria and their toxins that collect around the gums. These toxins from the bacteria can cause inflammation of the gum edges, usually with bleeding, which is known as gingivitis.

If plaque is not removed effectively and efficiently, it will spread further into the gum and release its toxins. The continual movement and growth of a film of plaque can create a gap between your teeth and the gum. This gap is known as a gum pocket.

If this is allowed to continue, the pocket would get deeper and over time (usually many years) will eventually lead to loss of bone around the teeth. This condition is known as periodontal disease.

What happens once I get gum disease?

In early stages of gingivitis, the process is reversible and can be stabilised if advice and treatment is sought from your dentist or dental hygienist.

On the other hand, periodontal disease is irreversible although it can be controlled. If left untreated it would lead to your teeth getting loose and eventually falling out !

Treatment becomes more difficult, the more advanced the disease is. Contrary to popular belief, gum disease can affect people of all ages. There are also some rare forms of periodontal disease that do not respond to any treatment.

How do I know if I have gum disease?

Periodontal disease is one of few conditions that can progress without any obvious signs or symptoms until the very late stage. It is therefore very important to see your dentist on a regular basis to monitor your gums.

In the early stages, some people may experience bleeding gums, sensitive teeth, red, swollen or tender gums, persistent bad breath (halitosis) or a bad taste, all of which we can treat at Newbury Smile Makers, Berkshire.

Please note that in a very small amount of cases, bleeding gums can be a sign of a more sinister underlying disease such as leukaemia.

Late changes in periodontal disease:

0. Teeth begin to show signs of getting loose,
0. May be some discomfort or even pain
0. A change in the way teeth fit together when you bite together

The outlook is very poor at this late stage. It is therefore very important to seek dental advice at any early stage

But I don’t get any pain and my teeth are not loose?

As explained before, periodontal diseases are usually slow in progressing in most cases (though there are rarely cases when the condition is very aggressive and progress rapidly).

The slow nature of progression means it can take a number of years for enough bone loss to occur for the teeth to become loose or for any pain or abscesses to occur. By this time, treatment can become very difficult. The outlook is much better if started early.

Is it just dental plaque that is to blame ?

Family history of gum disease

Heredity does play some part in gum diseases so if members of your family have gum disease then a through examination with the dentist is advisable .

Smoking and gum disease.

Smoking plays a very important role. It is now known that smoking contributes, not only to the progression of gum disease, but also slows down healing following any kind of gum treatment. It is probably the single worst thing one could do.

Diabetes and gum disease.

People are at an increased risk of developing periodontal disease and once the process starts, periodontal disease is often more severe in uncontrolled diabetics.

Stress and gum disease

Stress influences the rate at which periodontitis progresses. We do see gum disease getting worse during times of stress in people’s lives.

Hormones and gum disease

Hormonal changes during puberty and pregnancy can also exacerbate gingivitis and periodontal disease.

Medication and gum disease

Some medications can cause excessive gingival growth known as drug induced gingival hyperplasia, including drugs used to control epilepsy and some heart conditions.

Diet and gum disease.

If you have a poor or very ”picky” diet then this can affect your gum health too. Lack of Vitamin C is the best known example. Some evidence shows that Co-Enzyme Q10 is also beneficial to gum health

Periodontal disease and general health ?

Can periodontal disease affect my general well-being?

Heart disease and gum disease. Current research is showing that there may be an association between periodontal disease and certain general conditions such as coronary heart disease, artherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and stroke. Though no definite conclusions have been reached, research continues but the connection is looking ever more certain in 2010.

However it is known that conditions affecting one’s immunity such as diabetes can contribute towards gum disease.

How can my dentist help ?

There are many ways in which we are able to help

0. We do a thorough assessment of your gum to check if you have gingivitis or periodontal disease
0. We arrange for you to see a hygienist for advice on effective and efficient plaque removal and regular maintenance.
0. If you have gum disease, we will do a thorough clinical assessment (including measurements around the gums of each tooth), take specific x-rays and provide personalised treatment plans to suit your individual needs
0. The early stages of gum disease are often treated with called deep cleaning, and this is often done with the gum numbed using local anaesthetic as if you were having a filling or sometimes with a numbing gel applied locally.
0.  We also offer our happy air sedation if you are anxious about this or even just to make the treatment feel far more pleasant.
0. More advanced gum disease, require more specialized techniques for treatment. This may well involve gum surgery and it is occasionally possible to restore some of damage that has taken place with regeneration techniques.
0. Once your treatment is complete, you would be on maintenance therapy for the long term which involves more frequent visits to our dental hygienist to check on your progress.

What happens if the gum disease doesn’t improve as expected?

We have the option to refer you to a periodontal specialist for further advice or tests.

With thanks to Dr Dhru Shah, a periodontal (gum health) specialist and friend who provided the essential information for this page

Links to other websites that can help with gum problems

American Academy of Periodontology (recomended by the British Society of Periodontology)

More details on types of Gum disease

Risk assessment test

Could Green tea help? Be aware, green tea is quite acidic and if too much is used could lead to tooth enamel erosion!