PERIODONTOLOGY

Periodontics is a highly specialized area of dentistry that treats the area “around” a tooth, including gums, bone and supporting ligaments. Most common periodontal services consist of scaling and root planing (“deep cleaning”).

Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection of the gums and bone that if not treated, can cause you to lose your teeth. Medical research is now showing that these bacteria in your mouth can also travel through your bloodstream into other organs in the body. This bacteria has been found to increase the risk and severity of other health related issues such as:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease and stroke
• Respiratory infections and diseases
• Pre-term and low birth-weight babies
• Osteoporosis

What are the symptoms of periodontal disease?

Some common symptoms of periodontal disease are:
• Red, puffy or bleeding gums
• Foul odour or taste in your mouth
• Loose or shifting teeth
• Gums that recede, or shrink, and make the teeth appear longer

BLEEDING GUMS! WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

Healthy gums do not bleed, even during the dental hygiene appointment. Loaded with bacteria, the plaque and calculus can cause an infection where the first sign is bleeding gums. Periodontal disease doesn’t typically hurt until it is in the advanced stages. Bleeding is the body’s way of indicating that something is wrong.

– Scaling, otherwise known as conventional periodontal therapy, non-surgical periodontal therapy, or deep cleaning, is the process of removing or eliminating the etiologic agents
– Dental plaque, its products, and calculus – which cause inflammation, thus helping to establish a periodontium that is free of disease