Call us at 727-393-9334
Maher Rashid, DMD
Murad Rashid, DMD
10820 Seminole Boulevard
Seminole FL 33778
Periodontal Disease
You probably learned to clean your teeth when you were a child. The techniques and tools that were effective then are not sufficient to maintain your teeth and gums now that they have been damaged by periodontal disease.
In a healthy mouth, the space between the tooth and gums (called the sulcus) is normally only two to three millimeters deep. It's not difficult to clean that at home with careful brushing. But when you have periodontal disease, the sulcus deepens, forming pockets around your teeth. These are deeper than three millimeters, so they're notorious hiding places for plaque and disease-causing bacteria.
Another problem when you have periodontal disease has to do with the shape of the roots of your teeth. If there is no periodontal disease, the bone level is high and the gums attach firmly at the necks of the teeth. You can easily wrap floss around this surface and do a thorough job of keeping plaque off your teeth.
But periodontal disease decreases the attachment of the bone and gums to your teeth. The root surfaces are often exposed, and they have small indentations in them. Floss glides over these indentations, missing the plaque hiding inside.
You need to use special tools to reach down beyond the normal three millimeters to thoroughly clean the indentations in the sides of the roots. There are tools made specifically for each area of your mouth. We will work with you to customize a plaque-removal system and teach you how to use that system at home.
Periodontal disease is an infection of the teeth and gums, as well as the bone that surrounds the teeth. If left untreated, it causes supporting bone to be lost from around the teeth. Periodontal disease is the number-one cause of tooth loss in the United States today. There are three stages to periodontal disease-gingivitis, periodontitis, and advanced periodontitis.
Plaque, a sticky film of food and bacteria, forms constantly on teeth. If it isn't removed daily, it begins to harden and forms tartar (calculus). In this early stage, before bone loss has occurred, the gums become red and swollen; this is gingivitis.
As the plaque and tartar work their way down below the gum line, the gums begin to separate away from the teeth, forming pockets. Once a pocket has formed, the process accelerates, as new, even more destructive types of bacteria begin to populate the pocket. If the tartar isn't removed by dental professionals, your body's defensive reaction to the infection produces enzymes that cause the loss of supporting bone; this is periodontitis.
Over time, if periodontitis continues unchecked, this bone loss continues. Eventually, so much bone is lost that some of the teeth begin to become loose. This is advanced periodontitis.
Routine cleanings in our office remove plaque and tartar that exist on your teeth above the gumline, But sometimes, especially if you don't floss regularly, plaque, tartar and bacterial toxins can develop below the gumline where your toothbrush can't reach. The goal of scaling and root planing is to eliminate this source of periodontal infection from below the gumline, at the surfaces of the roots. The procedure
Normally, we'll spread a scaling and root planing procedure out over several appointments. This allows us to check on the healing and help you fine-tune your home care efforts.
To keep you comfortable, we will give you a local anesthetic before the procedure begins. Once you're completely numb, we'll use either a small scaling instrument or an ultrasonic cleaner to get rid of all plaque and tartar, from the top of your tooth all the way down to the bottom of the pocket.
Then, we'll plane - or smooth - your tooth so your gums can heal and reattach to your teeth. If it appears to be necessary, a small antibiotic fiber will be placed into the pocket area after it's been scaled and planed to control infection and promote healing. Antibiotics might also be prescribed to further combat the infection. Once the source of infection has been removed, your gums will begin to heal, and will once again tighten around your teeth.
Maintaining periodontal health
Homecare is the key to continuing the healing process. Since brushing and flossing only clean about three millimeters below the gumline, you'll need special tools to clean the infected areas. As part of your treatment, we'll provide you with the tools and techniques you'll need to thoroughly clean these transitional areas.
Having diabetes puts you at higher risk for oral infections and gum disease (also called periodontal disease). Why? Because diabetes weakens your mouth's natural ability to fight off germs, including the plaque bacteria that cause gum disease.
Harmful bacteria in your mouth thrive on glucose, the kind of sugar that's linked to diabetes. When diabetes isn't properly controlled, high glucose levels in the mouth promote the growth of this bacteria and can lead to tooth decay and periodontal disease, according to the American Diabetes Association. Diabetics may also experience diminished salivary flow, which also contributes to tooth decay by drying out the mouth.
A lack of moisture in the mouth allows plaque - the sticky film of food residue and bacteria - to build up on your teeth, leading to a greater chance of tooth decay and periodontal disease.
Smoking worsens the problem!
If you're a smoker over age 45, and you have diabetes, you are at 20 times greater risk of having gum disease, because smoking further diminishes your body's natural ability to heal itself.
Gum disease is not to be taken lightly. In its advanced stages, gum disease has been linked to serious health problems like heart disease, stroke and premature or low-weight babies. Gum disease can also cause you to lose your teeth, and it will worsen your diabetes.
Sign that you may have periodontal disease
- Gums that bleed when you brush or floss
- Gums that are red, swollen and/or tender
- Gums that have pulled away from your teeth
- Bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth that won't go away
- Pus between your teeth and gums when you press on that area
- Permanent teeth that feel loose
- Teeth that don't line up like they did in the past
