Preventing, halting, and reversing gum disease to restore the tissues that support your teeth!
You can’t have healthy teeth without healthy gums! Ultimately, these soft tissues protect and support the teeth. They also help to “frame” the teeth for an attractive smile. At our dental studios in West London, We take great care to give your gums the attention they deserve. During oral assessments, our doctors and our hygienists proactively check for signs of gum disease. Interventions or therapy must be undertaken promptly because this condition is progressive.
The disease process
In its earliest stages, gum or periodontal disease can be stopped and its effects reversed. After gum disease progresses to advanced periodontitis, a potentially devastating condition of bone loss occurs that can’t be reversed. Restorative treatment is required to rebuild the function of your teeth and gums and the appearance of your smile. With proactive care tailored to your specific needs, these damaging complications may be avoided.
We also appreciate that the consequences of gum disease transcend the oral cavity. A large body of medical literature suggests the inflammation present in periodontal disease is also responsible for problems with diabetics controlling their blood sugars and increased risk of heart disease, stroke, respiratory diseases, osteoporosis, and even certain cancers. Customised and prompt care at our dental studios, in turn, supports oral and overall health.
Treatments at every stage
The first step to managing and reversing early-stage gingivitis is understanding the symptoms and getting into a healthy routine of ongoing oral assessments and professional cleanings. Gingivitis is a “silent” disease because patients with it don’t always have redder than usual gums or bleeding when they floss and brush. This fact underscores the need for professional diagnostics. We detect even the most subtle changes that may suggest early inflammation – underlying problems you didn’t even know you had because your mouth felt and looked “fine.”
Our team may recommend one, some or all of the following steps to halt the disease:
- Professional cleanings – Home care is effective at removing sticky plaque. But, once this bacterial film has hardened, specialised instruments and expertise are essential.
- Consistent and thorough home care
- Correction of worn or poorly fitting crowns and other types of dental restorations – Damaged or old restorations may promote disease-producing bacteria and reinfection.
- Scaling to remove bacteria from the teeth and under the gum tissue
- Root planing to smooth the rough surfaces associated with the roots of the teeth, which stops bacteria from building up at these sites
More “modest” cases of periodontitis may be effectively treated with nonsurgical interventions. We generally believe that periodontal health should be achieved in the least invasive way possible. More conservative treatments require less demands on your body and time for healing and recovery and are associated with fewer side effects and risks of complications.
Surgical options may be needed in cases such as advanced periodontitis or when gum tissues don’t respond to nonsurgical techniques and interventions such as home care and lifestyle modifications; for example, pocket reduction removes bacteria and closes the spaces between the gums and teeth that give rise to disease. Laser-assisted surgeries are highly precise and associated with greater comfort and less risk than traditional approaches to removing, altering, and regenerating damaged gums.
Gum disease is not any one condition; it takes on many forms. We are acutely aware of the disease in its many forms and tailor therapies accordingly. Contact our West London dental studios at 020 8129 6868 to schedule your first or next assessment.
