At Kent House Dental Clinic, we are dedicated to helping you achieve and maintain a healthy mouth with tailored treatment and advice. Gum disease is not curable, but it is treatable and, in most cases, controllable. Keep in mind that healthy gums don’t bleed.
You are the key player on the hygiene team. If you don’t do the essential daily brushing and flossing, the rest of your dental team (the dentist and hygienist) is playing short-handed. Sometimes, even with regular check ups and hygiene appointments, stubborn plaque and bacteria will require some new maintenance techniques for battling gum infection.
Smoking: Numerous studies have shown that smokers have more gum disease. Smokers have increased levels of tartar in the mouth, and experience more tissue irritation, which makes their gums more susceptible to disease. Smokers have more bone loss and heal less quickly than non-smokers.
Stress: When our immune system is stressed it is difficult to fight off the bacteria that cause gum infections.
Dental neglect: Avoiding the dentist is a lifestyle choice that puts you at risk of contracting diseases of the mouth, teeth, and gums.
Heart disease: Gum inflammation products and bacteria in gum disease can cause heart disease, and in some cases, double the risk of a fatal heart attack. In addition, bacteria from your mouth may combine with blood-clotting cells called platelets, forming heart-stopping blood clots.
The majority of the population in the UK suffers from some form of gum disease, which is a significant cause of tooth loss. Gingivitis and periodontitis are the two main forms of this disease. You can check for early signs of gum disease when you are brushing your teeth. If there is blood on your toothbrush or in the water when you are rinsing your mouth, this may indicate that you have a gum problem. Also, your gums may bleed when eating and your breath may become unpleasant. You should consult your dentist or hygienist to discuss ways of improving your gum health.
Plaque and hard deposits of tartar are the main causes of gum disease. The most common reason for gum disease is that people do not clean their teeth and gums as often or as thoroughly as they should, so you must maintain a good dental care routine to remove all of the plaque from your teeth. However, some factors mean that some people are more likely to get gum disease, such as smoking and drinking excess amounts of alcohol, drugs, medicine and hormonal changes, and some diseases, including diabetes.
Gingivitis is a term used to describe the inflammation of gums. It is the first stage of gum disease, where the gums become red and swollen and may bleed when brushing your teeth.
Periodontitis is a deeper form of gum disease that affects the bone supporting the teeth. Left untreated, periodontitis may eventually result in teeth having to be extracted, as some of the bone is lost and teeth become loose. You can prevent periodontal disease from getting worse by maintaining a good dental care routine and making regular visits to your dentist or hygienist.
You should visit your dentist for an examination so that they can check your teeth and gums and prescribe the required treatment. Usually, the dentist will illustrate how to clean your teeth effectively to remove all of the plaque.
Dentists recommend using a small-headed toothbrush with ‘rounded’ bristles, so that it doesn’t cause any damage to your gums. Brushing alone will not remove all the plaque from between your teeth. Using dental floss is extremely useful here. Your dentist or hygienist is best placed to advise you on which cleaning methods are best for you.
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Open late on Monday evenings and Saturday mornings.
Early morning, evening and weekend appointments are available on request.
