Periodontitis

Inflammation of the gum is called gingivitis. If not treated early the inflammation expands at the expense of the bone that supports the teeth and the gums begin to recede. This is a condition called periodontitis.

Is it common?

Research in the United States on participants aged 30 years and older found that almost half had periodontitis. As the age increased, the frequency increased.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptoms of periodontitis – in addition to those of gingivitis (swelling of the gums, red color) – are the increased exudation of the gums (the teeth look longer). Other symptoms are sensitivity, especially in the cold, bad breath and, above all, the teeth become mobile. The bone around the teeth is destroyed without causing any pain.

Do I risk losing my teeth?

Therapies can prevent the progression of the disease and prevent the loss of teeth.

It is the dentist who will examine the gums and teeth and will evaluate their condition.

Treatment of periodontal disease is done in two ways. Conservative and surgical treatment.

Conservative treatment includes a special cleaning called scaling and root planing. This is sometimes called “periodontic” cleaning or “deep” cleaning.

With scaling and root planing, the dentist removes all the deposits on the surface of the tooth and polishes the root surface under the gums. In order to limit patient’s intolerance to the therapy, local anesthesia is often done.

The dentist uses special scalers as well as ultrasonic devices. This procedure helps periodontal tissues to heal from inflammation and to reduce periodontal pockets. This prevents the re-accumulation of the dental microbial plaque.

Teeth exhibiting more advanced lesions in addition to conservative treatment require some surgical interventions aimed at regenerating periodontal tissues and changing the gingival architecture around the teeth in order to achieve the elimination of periodontal pockets.

Therapies can prevent the progression of the disease and prevent the loss of teeth.

It is the dentist who will examine the gums and teeth and will evaluate their condition.

Clinical crown lengthening

Clinical crown lengthening is a type of periodontal surgery.

A short clinical crown may lead to poor retention form thereby leading to improper tooth preparation. Surgical crown lengthening procedure is done to increase the clinical crown length without violating the biologic width.

The lengthening of the crown is done in the following cases:

– For aesthetic reasons (gummy smile).

– When prosthetic restoration (bridge, crown) is to be placed on the tooth.

– When the caries has extended subgingivally or the tooth has been fractured at this point. In order to restore the tooth properly and effectively, the length of the tooth should be increased and the damaged area should be located above the gum line.

Crown lengthening prevents the almost complete loss of the tooth.

The duration of healing depends on the particular features of each case. It may take a few months for complete healing.

Frenulum is called the thin tissue membrane joining a fixed part of mouth with a mobile one. For example, the upper lip frenulum joins the upper lip (mobile part) with the gums (fixed part).

When the frenulum is located very close to the gums, it actually “pulls” them and can strip the root of the tooth and create a periodontal problem.

To prevent gum recession, the frenulum is excised.

The removal of the frenulum does not cause any adverse effects to the lip and mouth.

It is a short and simple procedure with a fairly short healing time.