The benefits of dental hygiene
Good dental hygiene is imperative to eliminate gum disease and prevent tooth decay or even loss. At Chelsea Green Dental we work hard to ensure your teeth stay beautiful and clean by offering hygiene treatments carried out by our Dentist in Chelsea.
The most important and obvious ways to maintain good oral hygiene is by ensuring you brush your teeth twice daily, floss, and regularly use a fluoride mouthwash; but sometimes this isn’t enough to remove tough plaque and tartar that can build up on the surface of your teeth and gums overtime, causing diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis.
What is periodontitis?
Periodontitis is a severe form of gum disease that damages the soft tissue surrounding your teeth. It is a common disease but can easily be prevented through maintaining good oral hygiene and regular visits to your Dentist in Chelsea. Without early treatment, periodontitis destroys the bone that supports the teeth causing them to loosen or even fall out.
Symptoms
The symptoms of periodontitis are many, so it is important to keep an eye out for any of them so that you can contact your Dentist in Chelsea straight away and prevent further damage. If you are suffering with periodontitis, you may experience swollen or puffy gums that are bright red or purple and feel tender when touched. They may also bleed very easily, especially when you brush your teeth, and leave a pink tint on your toothbrush after brushing. Another symptom includes halitosis, a condition defined as bad breath that doesn’t resolve with brushing or mouth washing. Signs that are visually obvious and that occur when periodontitis has progressed include receding gums, spaces between your teeth that look like black triangles and loose or missing teeth.
Causes
The most common cause of periodontitis is the development and hardening of plaque; plaque is a stick film-like substance made of bacteria that forms on your teeth when residues of starch and sugars from the food you eat. If not brushed away thoroughly, the plaque hardens under your gumline and turns into tartar, which is more difficult to remove and cannot be removed by simply brushing or flossing your teeth. As plaque and tartar are made up of bacteria, the longer they remain on your teeth, the more damage they do. At first you may develop gingivitis which is the mildest form of gum disease; this is characterised by swelling and irritation of the gum tissue around the base of your teeth. Gingivitis can be reversed using professional treatment, but only if it is treated in its early stages and before bone loss occurs.
Ongoing gum inflammation eventually leads to periodontitis which causes deep plaque or tartar filled gaps to form between your gums and teeth. If not treated, these infections lead to loss of gum tissue and bone resulting in the loss of teeth.
Prevention and treatment
The best way to prevent getting periodontitis is through practising good oral hygiene habits; this includes brushing your teeth thoroughly twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, flossing daily, avoiding foods and drinks with high sugar content, and visiting your dentist for regular check-ups and hygiene appointments.
