Gum Disease
Are you suffering from gum disease / gingivitis?
What is Gum Disease & How do I treat it?
Gum disease is usually caused by a build-up of plaque on teeth and along the gum line. Plaque is a sticky coating containing bacteria. The immune system tries to get rid of plaque with an inflammation response. This is seen as redness and swelling of the gum around the tooth.
What is Gum Disease?
Gingivitis is another name for inflamed gums. Plaque is a collection of food and bacteria that accumulates on teeth. This causes an inflammatory response as the body pumps blood to the area to fight the infection. This is why gums may bleed. Gingivitis is the most common disease affecting mankind.
If this plaque is not adequately removed it can harden and stick to the tooth, resulting in the formation of calculus. Tooth brushing will not remove this, once calculus forms, a professional clean is needed for its removal.
What can you do?
Our hygienist, gently and thoroughly removes all plaque and calculus allowing the gums to have an opportunity to heal.
We also work with our patients to assist them in achieving optimum oral hygiene, by guiding them with correct brushing and flossing techniques and aids.
You can Book an Appointment with Contemporary Smiles Dental online, or your can Request A Callback, and we’ll give you a call to organise a date and time.
“Many people feel that they are correctly brushing their teeth but upon our examination we can see that this is not the case. Sometimes people avoid brushing where it bleeds as they think they are damaging their gums. However, the opposite is true.”
Getting treatment early can help save teeth that are at risk from gum disease and other conditions.
We find the Braun Oral B Vitality to be both effective at cleaning teeth and cost effective
We recommend the following:
Our Recommendations
Brushing teeth with an electric toothbrush. We find the Braun Oral B Vitality to be both effective at cleaning teeth and cost effective.
More Suggestions
Daily flossing
Use of interdental brushes – brands such as TePe or Pixters can be useful when the gaps between the teeth are bigger or when people struggle to get the hang of the correct flossing technique
When necessary we prescribe a strong anti bacterial mouth rinse such as Savacol in acute situations.
With regular visits to our hygienist, we can monitor if there are still areas that are being missed when cleaning at home and help you improve your technique.
As with everything when it comes to oral hygiene, the more you put into it the more you will get out of it. Here at Contemporary Smiles we are proactive in assisting our patients with maintaining good oral hygiene through the use of preventative measures.
A routine Check-Up & Clean should be booked, and includes:
A Comprehensive Oral Examination
- X-rays will be taken (if not already on file). These x-rays will reveal any abnormalities in your teeth and your supporting oral structure that may otherwise be invisible to the naked eye.
- An examination of your lymph nodes will follow. Attention is paid to any pain, tenderness, & mobility.
- We will assess your jaw mobility, along with the surface area of your mouth and your lips.
- An assessment of your bite will be carried out in order to uncover potential areas of discomfort and potential for improvement.
- Significantly, we will conduct a full tooth record, noting the full condition of each of your individual teeth. This will determine the extent of any dental work that may be needed to ensure optimal oral health and wellbeing. Inta-oral photos of each tooth will be taken to substantiate these findings.
- An Assessment of your gum health and soft tissues will also be carried out.
Lastly, we’ll discuss all relevant findings with you, and communicate openly and constructively about the need for the development of a treatment plan.
X-rays (if we don't already have them on file)
We perform dental x-rays at our practice in Corrimal. These are images of your teeth and mouth that we use to evaluate your oral health and to identify problems like cavities, tooth decay and issue beneath the gum line.
Taking an x-ray is completely painless and on takes a matter of seconds. Once we have taken x-rays of your mouth, we keep these on file so we do not need to re-take them every time you visit our practice.
A Scale and Clean (usually booked separately)
The ”scaling” part of the procedure involves the use of a precision instrument called a ”Scaler” to remove the plaque and tartar from the surface of your teeth.
The ultrasonic cleaner may also be used at this point to clean below the gum line.
Upon removal of any plaque and tartar build ups on your teeth, we’ll proceed to polish your teeth with a special variety of toothpaste that may feel a little gritty, but it helps to remove bacteria that may be still lingering on your teeth.
A good polish will also make your teeth look and feel exceptionally clean.
BOOK AN EXAM, OR REGULAR CHECK-UP & CLEAN
To book a professional exam, or regular check-up and clean, contact Contemporary Smiles Dental today.
Periodontitis – What is it?
Over time if gingivitis is left untreated in susceptible patients, the inflammatory process, which is caused by the bacteria on the teeth, causes the destruction of the bone that holds the tooth in the jaw. In its most advanced form this causes loosening and eventual loss of teeth.
This is a complex process but put simply there are four main reasons why this happens:
- Poor oral hygiene,
- Smoking,
- An individuals own susceptibility due to chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes and genetic make up,
- Localised issues such overhanging restorations or overloading of the teeth due to grinding.
Recently, new evidence strongly correlates untreated periodontitis with a host of general medical conditions, most notably heart disease.
What can you do?
Treatment for periodontitis is similar to gingivitis but the urgency is even greater and is as follows:
- Improve oral hygiene and frequently visit our hygienist for professional cleaning,
- Quit smoking,
- Control chronic medical conditions such as diabetes,
- Rectify local exacerbating factors such as poorly adapted restorations or provision of a mouthguard for those who are grinding their teeth (bruxism).
The earlier this disease is treated the better the prognosis. On an initial consultation, for every new patient at our practice, we take a baseline record of the state of the gums by recording a periodontal chart. Thus doing so, we can then track whether there is a generalised improvement in the condition over time. If no improvement is recorded, we identify the reasoning behind why this is the case and in certain circumstances may refer to a Periodontist, who specialises in the treatment of periodontal conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our patients ask lots of questions. We’re glad you do as it means we can make your visit to the dentist a pleasant an enjoyable time. Here are some of the questions we frequently get asked:
How do I find the best dentist to visit?
With so many dentists to choose from, how do you know you’re choosing the right one? Just make sure your dentist is good at the following:
- Actively listens to you
- Educates you on treatments and oral health
- Respects your time and resources
- Keeps a tidy practice
- Doesn’t up-sell to you
- Gets to know you
- Follows-up with you
- Values you as a patient
Ultimately, the right dentist for you always gives the care that you and your family deserve.
Why is a dental health checkup so important?
Dental health check-ups are a vital part of your overall oral health regime. If you wish to maintain happy and healthy teeth and gums you should aim to book an examination, check-up and clean at least every 6 months.
During your check-up and clean, your dental professional will check your overall oral health for any trouble areas, and will remove any plague and tartar build-ups that you are unable to remove with normal brushing and flossing.
Is dental hygiene important to my overall health?
Your oral health is actually a window to your overall health, and problems in your mouth can affect the rest of your body. Poor oral health may contribute to a number of conditions, including heart disease, pneumonia, diabetes and endocarditis.
This makes it important to practice good oral health techniques every day. You should brush your teeth at least twice a day; floss daily; limit your sugar intake; replace your toothbrush every three months; and schedule regular dental check-ups and professional cleans.
What is the average cost of teeth cleaning?
Pricing does depend on a variety of factors, including location, overheads and variances in the methods used (not all fillings are the same). But something you should always look into before booking a check-up and clean is what is actually included in your dental check-up.
If you book your regular check-ups at Contemporary Smiles, you will receive the following treatments:
- a comprehensive oral exam
- a check-up and clean (existing patients)
- X-rays (if we don’t already have them on file).
Note: New patients at Contemporary Smiles will need to book in for a comprehensive initial examination with a dentist before a check-up and clean can be booked. This ensures we can provide you with the best treatment, and can identify any issues before they become a problem.
This would cost a total of $255.00 (although would be a much less if you have health insurance that covers dental treatments).
Price is obviously a factor, but is not the only important thing to look at when choosing a dentist for your next exam, check-up and clean.
