A good daily dental hygiene routine is important in maintaining clean and healthy teeth. Good oral health is important for general well-being and regular visits to your dentist in Haymarket can help ensure that your teeth are clean and healthy as well as help prevent any dental issues before they become serious and complicated. Regular appointments with your dentist in Haymarket will ensure that your teeth are fully examined, those hard to reach areas are cleaned effectively and that any dental concerns can be treated immediately preventing further complications later on in life.
Diagnosis and treatment of gingivitis and periodontal disease
An important field of dentistry is periodontics. This may sound scary but periodontics is concerned with issues of the supporting structures of the teeth, also known as the periodontium. The periodontium consists of the gums, alveolar bone, the cementum which attaches the tooth to the alveolar bone, and the ligament which holds the tooth in place. Periodontics is involved with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and conditions which affect these structures. These diseases include gingivitis which is infection and inflammation of the gums and periodontitis which is the infection and inflammation of the other structures of the periodontium.
Gingivitis is a common infection of the gums which most people will experience at least once in their life and is usually a result of poor oral hygiene but can also occur due to pregnancy, smoking, poor nutrition, some medications and other underlying diseases such as cancer and HIV. Symptoms of gingivitis include bad breath and bleeding gums, and should never be ignored. Speak to your dentist in Haymarket immediately if you experience bleeding gums because the sooner we can start your treatment the more successful your recovery will be as we can help stop the spread of gingivitis and reduce the negative impact that it can have on the remaining healthy gum and other structures.
If left untreated gingivitis can lead to periodontitis which can be severely painful and ultimately result in tooth loss. Regular appointments with your dentist in Haymarket followed by professional cleaning by your hygienist can help prevent, diagnose and treat periodontal disease. Periodontal treatments include professional cleaning, scaling and root planing and is involved in removing plaque and tartar from the teeth as a preventive therapy as well as as a treatment option.
Professional Cleaning at the dentist
Despite good brushing and flossing at home, professional cleaning of your teeth is necessary to effectively clean those hard-to-reach areas in which bacteria can build up and cause issues. Plaque continuously builds up on the surface of your teeth when bacteria and in your mouth come into contact with sugary and starchy substances in your food. Despite good brushing, plaque can remain on your teeth and after a while it hardens and leads to the formation of calculus, more commonly known as tartar. Calculus cannot be removed by ordinary brushing at home and requires professional cleaning at the dentist as if left untreated it is one of the main causes of gingivitis and ultimately periodontitis. Your dentist will recommend how often your teeth need to be professionally cleaned according to your specific dental needs.
More advanced stages of periodontal disease may require surgery, therefore contact us at Haymarket dental care immediately if you are at all concerned about your gums to help prevent further complications in the future.