Dr Mahoney: Gum Disease Treatment in Prague, periodontics, periodontal treatments

A periodontist is a dentist who specializes in gum disease and degeneration.

Many of us suffer gum disease and it is actually very common, especially as we age. Regular hygiene and check ups with the dentists help to spot it and the Dentist will then refer you to the periodontist if gum disease is detected. Gum disease can start when you are a child. However, chronic periodontitis is normally only a problem for adults.

About seventy five percent of tooth loss is due to periodontal disease. Formations of bacterial plaque start to infect and begin to cause gum deterioration, loss of teeth, receding gums (teeth looking longer), swollen gums, bad breath, bleeding of the gums and spaces between the teeth. If you have any of these symptoms in between dental check-ups or hygiene please make an appointment to see the dentist.

If periodontal disease has been caught early, there are many non-surgical ways to treat it. Most commonly a periodontist can employ dental scaling and root-planing during early onset periodontal disease. This involves removing plaque from roots of teeth, and smoothing the roots of the tooth to prevent additional growth of bacteria. Of course prevention is the key.

When periodontal disease is more advanced, we are trained in several surgical techniques that can help restore your teeth. These include bone grafting to replace lost bone due to severe bacterial infection, crown lengthening, which can help restructure a tooth so that it better supports a crown, and tooth and gum contouring, which can help reshape teeth and gums affected by gum disease.

In the busy world of today we all should try our best to avoid periodontal problems. However healthy and strong you and your teeth are, they need to be supported by healthy gums and bone. Periodontal disease can lead to you losing teeth and this does cause many inconveniences especially when eating and speaking. Scientists are now discovering that periodontal disease is linked to coronary heart disease and stroke, especially for people who are already at risk in other ways (through poor diet, smoking or high blood pressure) and some people are more likely to have periodontal disease than others.

Some common points to remember

• Diabetes and other diseases and health problems can reduce the resistance of your gums and bones.
• Smoking and drinking a lot of alcohol can make gum disease worse. Both are also linked with mouth cancer.
• Drugs and medicines can affect your gums so you should tell your dentist.
• Crooked teeth are more difficult to keep clean and it is possible that you might have gum disease in there only.
• If you are pregnant or using an oral contraceptive hormonal changes can also affect the health of your gums.
• People are different and have different bacteria in their mouths.
• Gum disease can get worse quickly for some, but not for others.

Some common questions answered:

What is the treatment?

A non-invasive positive attitude and approach with preventative hygiene, root planing and regular dental examinations are the ultimate goal. However there are occasions when unhealthy tissue cannot be repaired in this way. Advanced techniques and modern hi-tech materials can now be used to treat irreversible damage caused by periodontal disease and tooth brush abrasion. Usually regenerative procedures, soft tissue grafts, pocket reduction (flap) procedures and crown lengthening procedures.

Soft Tissue Management?

This is an individual treatment plan to eliminate any infection of the gum tissue and root surfaces of your teeth. Periodontal disease is an infectious and inflammatory disease that results from bacteria collecting on the tooth surface above and below the gum line which damages gum tissues and bone.

Crown lengthening procedure?

Crown lengthening is used to enhance the line of your smile. Your teeth can be the right length, but they can look short due to extra tissue (gum) actually growing downwards over the teeth or tooth. By reshaping hard and soft tissue around the teeth more tooth can be seen. Crown lengthening improves the overall smile and makes it aesthetic.

It is also a foundation procedure for restorative work and smile makeovers. Crown lengthening can be recommended if a tooth has broken below the gum line or if you have decay below or there is not enough tooth structure to fix a bridge or crown to expose more tooth structure and thus enable the dentist to remove any decay, and provide a foundation for the new restoration. Please ask your dentist, they are here to listen and tell you all about it.

Soft tissue grafts?

If your teeth are sensitive to hot and cold when eating or drinking, it can be because of receding gums. They may cause teeth to look longer and can expose the root of the tooth (an area that should be covered by the gum). Gum recession is caused by different reasons like aggressive tooth brushing or periodontal diseases. Our dentist will identify the causes and advise you how to minimize further gum recession. Once identified this may involve you to undergo a Soft Tissue Graft on the affected areas to minimize sensitivity and improve your smile. This procedure repairs the receding gums to prevent further recession and or bone loss which gives you a better looking smile and mouth. The doctor takes a piece of gum tissue from the palate (roof of the inside of your mouth) or elsewhere and covers the root of the affected teeth where the recession is.

Why should I need a gum operation?

The possibility of regenerating hard (bone) and soft (gum) tissues in the mouth is now a reality, through the application of advanced techniques and superior materials. In the past if a patient had suffered bone loss or receding gums there was very little which could be done to reverse the condition. However, we now have the capability to re-grow bone and soft tissues using several techniques. The majority of bone loss and receding gums is caused by periodontal (gum) disease. There are many contributing factors which cause periodontal disease, such as stress, genetics, pregnancy, puberty, medications, diabetes, clenching or grinding of the teeth, or poor nutrition. Receding gums can also be seen in individual areas of abrasion due to brushing too hard or using a toothbrush wrongly. Please ask your Hygienist and Doctor for further advice.

What is a regenerative treatment?

Periodontal disease destroys the gum tissue and supporting bone that is around teeth. The roots of the teeth are set in your jaw bone. When some bone is lost as a result of periodontal disease, teeth can start to move. If no action is taken you will eventually loose teeth. With technological advances it is now possible to regenerate lost bone and soft tissue, thereby reversing any damage and reducing the need to extract loose teeth. Nowadays there are various techniques for regeneration of lost tissue. Your dentist will tell you what is best for you.

The regeneration process is the removal of the disease and the rebuilding of the natural tooth attachment, which is required to support your teeth in your jaw bone. The regeneration of bone and soft tissue is achieved by folding the gum back, removing the disease-causing bacteria and then applying a protein which stimulates the growth of the natural tooth attachment tissues. The treatment works and regular preventative hygiene appointments do help too.

Pocket reduction procedure?

Healthy gums fit tightly around your teeth. The bacteria responsible for Periodontal disease causes the supporting tissues of the teeth (including the gums and bone) to degenerate. This results in pockets forming around the teeth. These pockets are spaces where disease-causing bacteria grow and cause damage to the supporting tissues, resulting in larger pockets, bone loss and eventually the loss of teeth (extraction). At Dr. Daniela Mahoney’s International Dental Clinic the hygienist and dentist measure the depths of the pocketing. The dentist may advise a pocket-reduction procedure if your daily brushing and oral care cannot suffice. Pocket depth reduction treatment folds back the gum tissue and removes the bacteria. It may also be necessary to smooth the surface of the bone, where damage may have caused the texture of the bone to become irregular, providing a haven for bad bacteria to multiply and cause more damage to the surrounding tissues. The removal of these bacteria by your dentist must be complimented by a thorough oral hygiene home-maintenance program and regular professional dental cleanings to ensure that a recurrence of pocketing caused by periodontal disease does not occur. At our dental practice in Prague 5 we use Arestin, the modern hi-tech fast and effective solution to treat your periodontal pockets. Its the only locally administered antibiotic that contains microspheres of minocycline and is very effective in eradicating the bacteria causing your periodontal disease. Arestin can be used along side scaling and root planing procedures for the reduction of pocket depth in adult periodontitis. Arestin may be used as a part of your peridontal treatment program which includes good oral hygiene, and scaling and root planning.

Common symptoms?

Look at your teeth. Are they looking longer than before, or different? Does the gum appear to be pulling back from the teeth?

Are your gums tender, swollen or do they bleed at all?

Do you suffer any sensitivity at the gum line anywhere?

Are there any yellow edges where the teeth meet the gum (this is called dentine)?

Are any of your teeth moving in any way?

Are there any pockets of gum forming in between your teeth?

Do you feel or see any gaps in between any teeth?

Have you noticed or tasted anything unusual in your mouth or do you have bad breath?

Has your bite changed in any way recently?

Don't wait until it hurts, visit Daniela Mahoney‘s Dental Clinic and help us help you to keep your oral hygiene at the best possible level.