Periodontics
Gum Disease
Periodontal, or Gum Disease is an infection of the tissues that support your teeth.
Your teeth are supported by gum tissue, connective fibers called the periodontal ligament that anchor the tooth root into its socket and bone. With proper gum care, these tissues can help you keep your smile for a lifetime.
Many adults develop some type of periodontal disease. Left untreated, periodontal disease can be a major cause of tooth loss.
What causes periodontal diseases?
The sticky film that constantly forms on your teeth called plaque is made mostly of bacteria. Some of these bacteria produce byproducts that can irritate the tissues that support your teeth. These byproducts can damage the attachment of the gums, periodontal ligament, and bone around your teeth.
You can remove plaque with good oral hygiene – brushing your teeth twice a day and cleaning between them once a day with floss. When plaque is not removed through good oral hygiene, it builds up along the gum line and increases your risk of developing periodontal disease.
Laser Periodontal Therapy
What is Laser Periodontal Therapy?
Laser Periodontal Therapy is a bold breakthrough technique for Wilshire Center Patients to treat periodontal disease.
Dramatic Patient Benefits
Laser Periodontal Therapy offers a significantly less traumatic alternative to traditional periodontal surgery. No cutting and no sutures means fast, easy patient recovery with minimal postoperative pain, bleeding or swelling. Laser Periodontal Therapy removes only the diseased tissue without removing any of the healthy tissue, maintains the height of the tissue around the teeth, gets a closure of the periodontal pocket wound and allows healing to take place. Elimination of hum resection maximizes reservation of your original gum tissue, so your smile is maintained and additional root exposure — and sensitivity — is avoided. Controlling periodontal disease makes it possible to save and restore otherwise hopeless involved teeth.
Treatment Procedure
A. Perio probe indicates excessive pocket depth.
B. Laser light removes bacteria and diseased tissue.
C. Ultrasonic scaler and special hand instruments are used to remove root surface tarter.
D. Laser finishes cleaning pocket and aids in sealing the pocket closed so new germs cannot enter.
E. Healing of gums to clean root surfaces occurs.
F. Bite trauma is adjusted. Healing occurs.
Mouthing Off
The Link between Periodontal Disease and Other Conditions:
Recent evidence suggests that periodontal disease may increase the risk or severity of several other medical conditions. Certain medical conditions may also exacerbate the risk of progression of periodontitis. Recognizing these potential relationships underlines the importance of regular oral examinations and prompt dental and periodontal treatment.
Here are a few of the many health problems that can be aggravated by poor oral hygiene:
STROKE – Those with adult periodontitis may have increased risk of stroke.
RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS – Bacteria that grows in the oral cavity can be inhaled into the lung to cause respiratory disease such as pneumonia, especially in people with periodontal disease.
HEART DISEASE – Those with periodontitis may have increased risk of a fatal heart attack…And are more likely to be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. Bacteria from the mouth may cause clotting problems in the cardiovascular system.
SEVERY OSTOPENIA – Reduction in bone mass me be associated with periodontitis and related tooth loss. Severity has been connected to tooth loss in postmenopasual women.
UNCONTROLLED DIABETES – Chronic periodontal disease can disrupt diabetic control. Diabetes can contribute to bacterial overgrowth in the mouth. Smokers with diabetes increase their risk of tooth loss by twenty times. People with Type II diabetes are three times as likely to develop periodontal disease than are non-diabetics.
PRETERM OR LOW BIRTH-WEIGHT BABIES – Women with advanced periodontitis may be more likely to give birth to an underweight or preterm baby. Oral microbe-scan cross the placential barrier, exposing the fetus to infection.