All YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FAMILY DENTALCARE -- Page 5

Periodontal Disease (Pyorrhea) One of the most prevalent diseases of man is gum (periodontal) disease. More than 80% of teeth that are pulled (extracted) in people 30years of age and older are lost due to periodontal disease. This is ironic because pyorrhea is one of the easiest diseases to prevent. Thorough brushing and flossing on a regular basis prevent most periodontal diseases. Periodontal disease affects the supporting tissues of the teeth-the gums and underlying bone. Even when periodontal trouble is extensive it is usually painless, and patients are generally unaware of any gum problem. Periodontal trouble may continue for several years before loss of teeth occurs. Eventually, as the gums and bone dissolve away from the teeth, the teeth become loose. If this process continues, the teeth will have to be removed because of loss of support. Soft and hard irritating deposits on the teeth are the major cause of gum disease. Thesoft, sticky, clear materialis called dental plaque. It is made up of bacteria (germs), small pieces of food, and saliva. If you allow plaque to remain on the teeth, it becomes a hard, crust like deposite called calculus (tartar). You must remove the soft plaque on a regular basis to prevent calculus from forming.

Scaling and Curettage Gum disease is usually first treated with a thorough cleaning of the teeth (prophylaxis). This is necessary because pyorrhea is caused by deposits (calculus) and food debris that have accumulated at the necks of the teeth. The gum tissue and supporting bone reacts to these irritants by shrinking and dissolving away. Red, swollen gums that bleed easily are a sign of gum disease. Pain is not always present. A deep cleaning (scaling of teeth and scraping the soft gum tissue) is done in the dental office by either dentist or dental hygienist. Local anestheticis usually administered before beginning this procedure. Smoothing of all tooth surfaces and scraping of the inner lining of the gums next to the tooth is the objective of scaling and curettage. Several days after this procedure, your gums should appear less swollen and pinker and should bleedless when you brush.

Periodontal Surgery The main purpose of periodontal surgery is to eliminate pockets of infection around the teeth. Periodontal pockets form around the necks of teeth supported by flabby, swollen gums. Thered, diseased gums have caused spaces to form around the teeth which can be as deep as a quarter of an inch. The formation of these infected spaces or pockets is called pyorrhea. All teeth are anchored in bone, just as a pipe or post may be set in concrete. Periodontal disease is the loss of support of the bone holding the tooth and the inflammation of soft gum tissue. In later stages, teeth may become loose and have to be extracted if they are not properly treated. Your periodontal surgery removed some of the unhealthy gum tissue and also reshaped the underlying bone to eliminate the periodontal pocket(s). Within a short period of time the teeth involved should tighten, and the gum tissue should heal and become a healthy pink color again. With this expected good result, you must keep your teeth free from plaque so that the pockets will not return. The dressing placed in your mouth should remain for several days. It will be removed or replaced by yourdentist.

Toothbrush Abrasion

Toothbrush abrasion is the un-natural wearing away of your teeth due to incorrect brushing habits. Toothbrush abrasion is usually seen as grooves in the necks of your teeth. This is usually difficult for you to see and must be pointed out. Most people are unaware of what they are doing to their teeth. This problem most often occurs in people who are vigorous brushers. These people usually use a hard brush.

 

The major cause of toothbrush abrasion is use of a toothbrush which is too hard. A hard brush is not necessary to clean your teeth properly. Use of abrasive materials may also cause wearing away of your teeth. Some tooth pastes contain strong polishing materials and should be avoided.

 

Proper tooth brushing should be done by holding a soft tooth brush right at the neck of the toot hand gently massaging the gum line area. Frequently, abrasion becomes so severe that the area must be filled with either silver amalgam or composite (plastic) filling.

Impacted Tooth Extraction Animpacted tooth is one which is blocked from growing into its normal position in the mouth. The teeth most often impacted are upper and lower third molars (wisdomteeth). The presence of impacted teeth is usually detected when the jaws are x-rayed but sometimes they may be discovered as a hard swelling in the area of impaction.   Impacted teeth are removed for the following reasons: 1) infection and inflammation, causing recurring pain and discomfort in soft tissue around the lower wisdom teeth; 2) pain up on closing of the jaws in the area of the impacted tooth; 3) destruction or erosion of nearby teeth and bone due to growth of the capsule surrounding an impacted tooth; 4) lack of adequate space for the tooth to erupt normally; 5) impacted teeth with no symptoms are usually removed, because these teeth have a potential of causing destruction of surrounding bone and gum.   Removal of an impacted tooth is a noralsurgical procedure. Before performing surgery, your dentist will want to know your medical history, especially regarding allergies, heartdisease, heartsurgery, rheumaticfever, blooddisease, and highblood pressure. Impacted teeth are buried beneath the gums and bone.You should expect discomfort for two to three days following your extraction regardless of whether a local or general anesthetic is used.You may also expect swelling, discoloration of your face, and pain following this treatment.

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