What is
Periodontitis?

The first line of defence against periodontal disease is actually prevention. This includes a good oral hygiene routine at home. Brushing at least twice a day and cleaning between teeth once a day with floss/interproximal brushes helps prevent plaque from accumulating. Depending on the severity of the disease, more in-depth oral hygiene instructions may be recommended.

Depending on how far the disease has progressed, treatment can vary widely. In the early stages of gum disease, treatment may involve non surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT). This means removing plaque and calculus in the pockets around the tooth and smoothing the root surfaces. NSPT helps rid the mouth of infection-causing bacteria and irritants beneath the gum line. More advanced cases may require periodontal surgical treatment. The goals of this treatment are to remove plaque bacteria and calculus from deep pockets around teeth, reduce the pockets, smooth root surfaces and arrange gum tissue into a shape that will be easier to keep clean. By doing this we are able to preserve the remaining jawbone and therefore keep the natural teeth for much longer.

This gradually makes the pockets deeper, which in turn fill with an ever-greater volume of plaque bacteria. The disease will continue, often in bursts of activity especially when you are feeling run down or unwell. Unfortunately, once a periodontitis patient, you will always be a periodontist patient however as with diabetes you can achieve stability which is what we are aiming for. Studies have shown that in teeth with deep pockets (>5mm) in patients that were seen regularly for hygiene and who were cleaning at home adequately, that these teeth tended to be lost in the long term without further active periodontal treatment. Such treatment is therefore necessary for teeth with deep pockets to prevent the progression of bone loss and reduce the risk of tooth loss.