Gum Disease Treatment in London

If you notice any signs or are experiencing gum problems, don’t worry, if caught early gum disease can be fully reversed. Contact our clinic to let us help you get back your healthy smile.

Gum Disease Treatment in London

Periodontal Treatment – Prevention of Gum Disease

Have you noticed bleeding or swelling every time you brush your teeth ? Do you worry about bad breath? Gum disease when it affects the supporting jaw bone that supports teeth is also known as Periodontal disease. It is more common than you might think but is often left undiagnosed or untreated as it progresses slowly and painlessly. Without regular dental checks it can take a long time for sufferers to realise there is a problem until it is too late. Many of us will observe some of the symptoms of gum disease, without even knowing that you are suffering from it.

Ultimately, gum disease impacts an individual’s quality of life because oral and overall health suffers. If left untreated it will cause pain and discomfort and over time lead tooth to loosen, decay and fall out.  However, if treated in time the effects can be reversed.

At NW1 Dental Care, we offer our patients help with gum disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment to help them maintain healthy smile.

What is Gum disease?

Gum disease is a bacterial infection that causes swelling or inflammation of the gum tissues surrounding the teeth. When it progresses to involve the jaw bone that surrounds the teeth it is known as periodontal disease.

The primary cause of gum disease is poor oral hygiene leading to plaque build-up on the teeth. Plaque is a sticky, colourless film that is composed of numerous strains of bacteria that stick to your teeth, roots, and gum line.  If not removed regularly, plaque can accumulate between your teeth and around the gums. When plaque hardens it is known as calculus or tartar and won’t be able to be removed by simple toothbrushing alone. This leads to irritation of gums causing bleeding, sweling and soreness.

Initially, plaque can be easily removed by regular brushing twice a day and flossing. However, if plaque remains on the teeth then it will harden into calculus or tartar for which you will need to get professional deep cleaning or periodontal treatment at a dental clinic. If left untreated it can lead to bone loss resulting in loose teeth that may eventually fall out.  The bone loss could be irreversible, and so we target to prevent the bone loss before it’s too late to save your teeth.

Gum Disease Treatment

Symptoms of Gum Disease

You might not even know you have gum disease and it can progress undetected as it’s difficult to diagnose it yourself since it’s not painful and you might not show any obvious symptoms. This is one of the reasons, it’s important to visit your dentist for regular 6 monthly check-ups. Some of the common signs of periodontal disease are :

  • Bleeding gums while brushing or flossing your teeth
  • Swollen and Red gums
  • Loose tooth or teeth
  • Bad breath
  • Receding gums or longer appearing teeth
  • Tooth sensitivity
  • New spacing between teeth – at a later stage of gum disease

Problems it can cause :

  • Tooth loss
  • Halitosis – Bad breath that wont go away
  • Gum recession or deep gum pockets
  • A change in the way your teeth meet together when you bite
  • Pain and discomfort affecting general health

Prevention :

  • Brushing twice daily and floss regularly help removes food particles and plaque from your mouth before it hardens and sticks to teeth.
  • Schedule 6 monthly Dental visits for Regular check-ups and cleanings – Dentist can remove plaque that your toothbrush and floss cannot remove. Plus it can help detect an early signs of gum disease and treated with simpler and non-surgical treatment
  • Eat a healthy and balanced diet – Eat food rich in vitamins and minerals and limit consumption of sugary foods as gum disease thrives on sugar.

Stages of Gum Disease

The type of gum treatment you need depends on the stage of the infection and the amount of deterioration of your gums, teeth, supporting tissue and bone.

 Stage 1 : Gingivitis – Early Gum Disease

Gingivitis is mild form of gum disease during which your gums become irritated by plaque. The bacteria in plaque releases toxins that irritate the gums and cause inflammation which is observable around the gums. Usually, the first signs of gingivitis are

  • Red and swollen gums
  • Bleeding gums on touching, brushing or flossing
  • Bad breath
  • No bone loss

This is the early stage of gum disease and is completely reversible. Gingivitis generally does not cause pain but if left untreated, gingivitis can progress to next stage i.e periodontitis, a more serious level of gum disease.

Treatment for Gingivitis :

If you remove the plaque, your gums will recover and the following will help to get rid of plaque from your teeth.

    • Regular dental check-ups at the dentist to check for signs of gingivitis
    • A regular hygiene appointment to remove any calculus debris.
    • Daily home care routine to prevent gingivitis – electric toothbrush , waterflosser

Stage 2 : Periodontal Gum Disease

If gingivitis is left untreated it can advance to the next more destructive stage which is called periodontitis. This is considered a more advanced gum disease condition where not only the gums but the bone structures supporting the teeth are compromised.

Early Periodontitis- As the gums become more inflamed, they start to pull away from the teeth, forming spaces known as periodontal “pockets.” Food, bacteria, and plaque begin to collect in the pockets, leading to infection. The inflammation in the gums becomes destructive causing damage to the fibres that join the roots of the teeth to the socket.

You still won’t notice any pain or other symptoms at this stage but your gums will be more inflamed and continue to bleed when you brush. At this stage, it cannot be reversed but it can be stabilised if you seek periodontal treatment.

Moderate Periodontitis – The next stage without treatment for initial periodontitis will lead to moderate Periodontitis where your condition become more severe as inflammation spreads, and some discomfort may occur. More supporting bone is lost, teeth loosen, and the gums recede further. Unfortunately, the damage is permanent at this stage. At this stage the goal is to stabilise the condition with periodontal treatment to prevent further progression to maintain the teeth for as long as possible.

Advanced Periodontitis – This is the severe stage of periodontitis where you can have tooth loss. If you have reached this stage, you will notice teeth look longer as gums have receded. You might also have loose teeth and soreness while biting on the teeth. Some people observe localised swelling or abscesses with pus that are the result of the infection spreading beneath the gums which is often very painful. By this time if not treated then you might have single or few tooth loss spreading to several teeth as remaining teeth will become loose without any support and will drift to form gaps.

At this stage, all options for treatment are on the table – right from periodontal surgery to stabilise your condition and to manage the damage by replacing teeth denture or dental implants.

Treatment for Periodontitis

  • Deep cleaning – Special scaling instruments are used to clean the plaque and tartar that has built up on the tooth and underneath the gum line where the bacteria is on the roots of the tooth. This is known as scaling and root planning. The gum can then attempt to heal naturally and reattach to the tooth
  • Medicated mouthwashes – To help control the build-up of plaque for short term use
  • Periowave treatment– For most cases where scale and polish can’t treat the condition of the gums Periowave treatment is recommended and widely used. Periowave is a painless, quick, non-antibiotic and effective procedure that can significantly improve treatment outcome when combined with scaling and root planning. A non-thermal laser which works to kill bacteria associated with periodontal disease. It is a powerful photo disinfection reaction that inactivates the harmful bacteria’s and toxins associated with periodontal disease that are left behind after deep cleaning. The gum then has the best ability to heal naturally and reattach to the tooth
  • Periodontal Laser Treatments –  We use the Quicklase laser kit to disinfect deep pockets and to cut excess gum to prevent plaque trap areas. This treatment can only be used as a supplement to Scaling & Root planning procedure. It will be very beneficial if you have inflamed or diseased gums as it helps to avoid the disease progression. Disinfecting the pockets helps facilitate healing and helps kill bacteria that may remain after scaling instruments have been used.

We also closely work with a specialist periodontists who we may refer to if you need to have gum surgery or if your gum disease is very severe.

FAQs

The dentist will discuss your concerns and do a thorough examination of your gums. If required some X-rays may be taken of certain teeth to complete examination. The dentist will share the findings and provide a treatment plan along with answering any of your questions.

Dental plaque : It is thin colourless film that builds up on your teeth on daily basis. It contains numerous bacteria which if not removed hardens to form tartar. The gum react to this tartar leading to gun disease. Proper brushing and routine dental clean at a dentist can prevent this factor

Smoking : It is one of the major contributor leading to gum disease and also affect how well the patient will respond to treatment. Quiting smoking does reduce the risk of gum disease and  better prognosis of your treatment

Genetics : If anyone in your family have a history of gum disease then you are more susceptible to get this condition. If this is the case then regular dental check-up or contact the clinic if you observe any symptoms related to gum disease

Medical conditions  : Certain health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and kidney disease could make your gum disease worse.

 

How to prevent gum disease

  • Visit your dentist at NW1 Dental care for routine check-ups and teeth cleaning so that any issues can be detected early
  • Brush your teeth twice a day
  • Floss your teeth, specially back ones
  • Quit smoking if you smoke
  • If you see any signs of gum disease then visit our dentist at NW1 Dental care

If you leave your teeth untreated then , the pockets may deepen and gradual bone loss will make tooth loose, more gum infection and eventually loss of teeth.

After periodontal treatment your gums will become healthier, which will help you keep your teeth longer. Improvements will depend on how good you clean your teeth and the initial extent of your gum disease. If before the treatment your gums bleed or are swollen, this should improve. You may also notice your breath feeling much fresher.

Most patients return back to work without any complaints. However, some might experience little teeth sensitivity while having cold food or drinks.

Gum disease can reoccur so its important to note that you take care of your gums post treatment. Brush twice a day, floss and have routine hygiene appointment s at clinic to get check-ups and remove any bacterial deposits accumulated around your gums or teeth.

Normally first sign are bleeding gums , followed by loose teeth and then teeth drifting leading to gaps.. We recommend having regular routine check-ups with your dentist to pick any early signs.

The best way to prevent gum disease is to take good care of your gums and teeth.

  • Good oral hygiene: This involves brushing your teeth twice daily and flossing at least once a day before brushing. Ensure to pay attention to both the gum line and tooth and brush.
  • Regular dental visits: Visit your dentist to get a regular scale and polish treatment. However, if your condition is bad and if you have risk factors that increase your chances of developing periodontitis then you might require deep cleaning or professional cleaning more often.

The dentist will first perform a deep cleaning in the affected area or all of the mouth. A specially formulated photosynthesizing blue solution is then applied around the gums in the affected area. The blue solution preferentially attaches to the harmful bacteria and toxins which are remaining and are associated with periodontal disease.

The Periowave non-thermal, light-diffusing tip is then inserted into each treatment site for 60 seconds destroying the harmful bacteria and toxins painlessly and without the use of antibiotics. Results are often immediate and include healthier less red looking gums, less bleeding, and no more bad smell.

The primary risk factor for gum disease is poor oral health. Other additional risk factors include

• Weakened immune system
• Malnutrition
• Stress
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Hormonal changes in girls and women, particularly during pregnancy
• Certain medications
• Genetics

 

The length of the treatment depends on the type of treatment and the number of things carried out. Gum surgery requires around 2 hours

Patients will get a local anesthetic injection to numb the areas where they require gum surgery. However, you may experience some postoperative pain within 1-3 days while goes away as you heal.

You can get the price of Periodontal Treatment once the dentist has examined your teeth and the cost of gum treatment will depend on the type of treatment recommended by the dentist. However, bear in mind that it’s cheaper to get the gum treatment than to replace teeth missing teeth or tooth which occurred due to untreated gum disease.

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