Periodontal Care

Periodontal treatment (gum care) is the maintenance of the supporting structures of the teeth including the gum and jawbone.  Factors that affect our periodontal health are the presence of a build-up of hardened plaque or tartar that accumulates under the gums when we don’t maintain regular effective plaque removal.  Smoking, stress, diet, some medical conditions and genetic predisposition can also play a role in increasing your susceptibility to periodontal problems.

Poorly maintained teeth can display symptoms including swollen, bleeding gums, receding gums, and bad breath. In extreme cases you may experience tooth pain and abscess, tooth mobility due to bone loss and gum recession, and ultimately loss of those teeth that are most severely affected.

A good oral care home routine can prevent daily build-up of plaque, which causes tartar build-up.  Regular dental examination and cleaning allows us to remove tartar that builds up before it can cause the structures of the teeth to be affected.

In cases where there is a lot of tartar build-up and or bone loss, we may need to carry out deep scaling or root planning to remove the tartar and halt the progression of any existing periodontal deterioration. This is often done over several visits and local anaesthetic is used to ensure the treatment is comfortable. Rather than handing you over to a hygienist to have your teeth cleaned, our dentists prefer to be a part of this important aspect of your dental maintenance.  We also recommend periodontal charting to allow us to monitor your periodontal health. Antibiotics and antibacterial mouth rinses may also be prescribed. In more severe cases, a referral to a local Periodontist may be advised.