What is gum disease (periodontal disease)?
Periodontal diseases: These are inflammatory diseases that affect the gums and the tissues that support the teeth. Gingival diseases that can be treated easily when diagnosed in the early period are responsible for 70% of tooth loss when treatment is delayed.
What is gingivitis?
Gingivitis is the early stage of periodontal disease. In this period, the gums are bleeding, red and enlarged in volume. If not treated, the disease turns into periodontitis by creating irreversible damage to the gums and the alveolar bone that supports the teeth.
What is periodontitis?
Periodontitis is a more advanced stage of periodontal diseases, it is inflammation of dental tissues. In the periodontist: periodontal fibers, bone, root and cementum tissue covering the gingiva become inflamed.
A "periodontal pocket" is formed between the tooth and the gingiva. Infection progressing through the periodontal pocket facilitates the progression of the disease. As the disease progresses, damage occurs in the alveolar bone, teeth begin to shake, and even tooth extraction may occur.
What are the symptoms of gum disease?
- Gums that bleed during tooth brushing, are red, swollen and sensitive, easily separated from the teeth, moving away
- Inflammatory discharge from the tooth-gingival junction
- Teeth that wobble or gradually move away from each other (creation of gaps between teeth or increase in existing gaps)
- Changes in the relationship between the upper and lower teeth during biting
- Changes, deterioration in prosthesis fit
- Persistent bad breath
However, periodontal disease can reach advanced stages without any symptoms. For this reason, it is extremely important to go to the dentist at regular intervals.
What is the cause of gum disease?
The most important cause of gum disease: "bacterial dental plaque", which is a colorless, sticky layer that accumulates on the teeth within 4-12 hours when the teeth are not brushed, and is easily separated from the teeth when scraped with nails. In cases where daily brushing and flossing is insufficient, plaque cannot be effectively removed from the teeth and turns into a structure known as tartar or tartar. The calculus accumulating around the gums causes the formation of periodontal pockets. Thus, it is easier for bacteria and their products to progress to deeper tissues. If the disease is left untreated, eventually the teeth will become loose and may even need extractions.
How to prevent gum disease?
To protect oral-dental health, teeth should be brushed correctly 2 times a day and dental floss should be used once a day for tooth interface cleaning. It is equally important to have the areas that cannot be reached with a toothbrush, dental floss or other cleaning tools evaluated by a dentist, therefore visiting the dentist at regular intervals.
How to properly brush your teeth?
Brushing teeth is important for oral and dental health. However, brushing and cleaning processes need to be done correctly.
What the person should do is to brush all the surfaces of the teeth and the tooth-gum junction areas after breakfast and before going to bed at night.
Toothbrush should be used with circular movements and should definitely touch the tooth-gingival junctions. Brushing the gums and teeth with circular movements should be repeated on all surfaces of the teeth.
How to use a brush when brushing teeth?
A soft toothbrush is preferred most of the time. The more bristles on the brush, the greater the surface area to be cleaned. If possible, nylon bristles should not be preferred.
Inflammation in the gums causes melting of the bone tissue surrounding the tooth. The gingival tissue, whose bone support is lost, is pulled down a little from its normal position, causing the root surface to be exposed.
What is the treatment of gum disease?
Treatment in the early period of gum disease is removal of attachments (plaque and calculus) on the teeth and root surface leveling. This process ensures the removal of bacteria and irritants that cause inflammation in the gingiva. Usually, as a result of this treatment, the moving gingiva adapts to the tooth again. Enlarged gums begin to return to their normal size. The gingival pocket is reduced and normal gingival space is provided.
What is gingival curettage?
It is the process of cleaning the inside of the pocket by scraping in order to eliminate the bacterial residues and tartar in the periodontal pocket in case the gum disease progresses to the deep tissues. Root surface is made slippery by making root surface leveling together with curettage. Thus, the accumulation of irritants on the root surface is prevented.
What is a gingival flap operation?
When the gingival disease progresses too deeply into the dental tissues, the area should be cleaned by removing the gingival tissue. Otherwise, adequate cleaning is not possible. The gingival tissue is anesthetized and lifted under local anesthesia, the inflammatory tissues, bacterial residues and tartar are removed by scraping with the help of curettes, and the gingiva is sutured and closed back.
What should I pay attention to after the gingival operation?
You should watch what you eat and stay away from hard foods. It is very important to keep the operation area clean.
Can I smoke during the gum treatment process?
Smoking affects the blood vessels negatively and disrupts the blood supply of the region. The formation of new tissue in the treated area is possible by feeding the area through blood. It is necessary to stay away from smoking as much as possible during the one-week recovery period before and after the operation.
Are stitches removed after the gingival operation, after how many days will the stitches be removed?
After gingival operations, stitches are usually placed and the stitches are removed one week after the operation. Even if a self-dissolving suture is used, it should be checked after 1 week.
How often should I go to the dentist after periodontal treatment (gingival treatment)?
After periodontal treatment, it is necessary to continue the controls at intervals that the physician deems appropriate. When the disease is completely healed, it is important to apply routine care and continue dental check-ups every 6 months.
TR
