Bleeding Gums

Gum Disease

Plaque is a mixture of food, bacteria and bacterial waste products that build up on your teeth after eating. When plaque is left on your teeth, the gums initiate an immune response to it. This is the early stage of gum disease known as gingivitis. If gingivitis is not treated, the gums begin to pull away from your teeth, leaving little pockets around the tooth. This pocket traps plaque that can't be reached with brushing. Plaque that is not removed hardens to become tartar (calculus). Plaque and tartar build up cause further irritation. This can lead to bleeding gums, a funny taste and bad breath. It can also cause the gums to recede. If this occurs, dentine may become exposed and the teeth may become more sensitive to hot and cold. The treatment is with scaling above and below the gums along with oral hygiene instruction.

In certain individuals, the irritation caused by plaque and tartar and the body’s inflammatory response to it, starts to affect the bony structure supporting your teeth. As time goes on, the pockets get deeper and more difficult to clean, and the gum and bone recede from the roots, so that some of the root may be visible. As you lose support for your teeth, they may become mobile. This stage is called periodontitis. Periodontitis refers to a number of inflammatory diseases affecting the tissues that surround and support the teeth.

Periodontitis involves progressive loss of the alveolar bone around the teeth, and if left untreated, can lead to the loosening and subsequent loss of teeth. Periodontitis is caused by bacteria that adhere to and grow on the tooth's surfaces, along with an overly aggressive immune response against these bacteria. A diagnosis of periodontitis is established by inspecting the soft gum tissues around the teeth with a periodontal probe and by visual analysis of radiographs, to determine the amount of bone loss around the teeth.

Unfortunately, periodontal disease is never cured, but can be controlled or slowed by an effective oral hygiene regime incorporating both the patient and dental team.

Factors such as smoking or diabetes may also contribute to the deterioration of the gum condition and we will advise you if you need to make any changes to improve your gum condition.

Full Mouth Disinfection

Full mouth disinfection refers to an intense course of treatment for advanced periodontitis (gum disease) involving scaling and root planing in combination with use of local antimicrobial adjuncts to periodontal treatment such as chlorhexidine and ozonated water in various ways of application plus the use of a soft tissue laser .It can often be combined with a 7 day course of antibiotics. The aim is to complete debridement of all periodontal pocket areas within a short time frame such as 24 hours, in order to minimize the chance of reinfection of the pockets with pathogens coming from another oral niches like the tongue, tonsils and non-treated periodontal pocket.

The aim of a full mouth disinfection for patients with more advanced gum and periodontal disease is to arrest the disease and active inflammation and prevent future re-establishment of pathogens and disease/destruction. Those treated with a full mouth disinfection should expect a massive improvement in overall oral health, reduction of pocketing and prevention of bleeding and bone loss, hence a stabilized dentition free from disease and on going inevitable tooth loss.