Periodontics
What is not seen in your teeth is also important!
Lack of oral hygiene can cause disease. At Clínica Sensus we treat and solve these problems to maintain the health of your teeth. Do not neglect your smile and visit us, we can help you.
What is periodontal disease?
This term to all the problems of the gums and the bone that supports the teeth. Each tooth is embedded in the bone, strongly linked by a series of structures that guarantee its strength and proper functioning.
Sometimes, the structures that surround and support the tooth (gums and bone) can be affected and if they are not treated in time, we can lose our teeth. When you visit us, we can detect the different phases of this process and help correct them.
Long-term consequences
The fundamental long-term consequence of this disease is the loss of most or all of the teeth.
This loss brings with it the consequences of edentation: difficulty chewing, stomach problems, significant aesthetic alteration, pain, bad breath, bleeding gums, etc. On occasions, this affectation can lead to heart problems in susceptible patients.
How to detect it?
There are a series of symptoms that make it possible to recognize this condition in any of its stages:
Gingivitis status:
Any periodontal affectation begins in the gum. It turns from pink to deep red, slightly enlarged, slightly painful, and bleeds when brushing.
Moderate status:
The gum recedes, that is, the teeth appear longer. Large tartar deposits can be seen on the teeth, especially on the lower frontal part. There is slight mobility of the teeth. Sometimes the teeth shift and spaces are created between them. The gums appear red and bleed easily. Halitosis (bad breath) and a bad taste in the mouth are characteristic. Sometimes very cold or very hot drinks or food cause pain.
Advanced or severe state:
All of the above symptoms increase. The teeth move excessively until they eventually fall out. The gum bleeds profusely and hurts, preventing the patient from brushing his teeth properly, further aggravating the problem.
How do we fix it?
In the initial states it can be corrected. But it tends to be a chronic condition. This means that when the state of the disease is advanced and much bone support has been lost, the most that can be done is to stop the progression of the disease so that it does not go any further. Lost bone is difficult to recover. However, there are regenerative techniques that sometimes give very good results. At Clínica Sensus we can assess if the patient is susceptible to this type of treatment.
The basic treatment consists of eliminating the existing infection by thoroughly cleaning the entire mouth, under local anesthesia. If the state is very advanced or regeneration is required, a small surgical intervention is required, also under local anesthesia. The treatment can be complemented with the use of antibiotics.
The most important thing is that the patient is aware of his problem and assumes that, after the initial treatment, he should go to the dentist at least once a year for maintenance cleanings, for the rest of his life. Oral hygiene is essential to treat this type of problem. Only in this way can effective therapy be achieved.
Basic treatment step by step
The basic treatment consists of:
1. exhaustive cleaning of the gums by means of an ultrasonic device, curettes (sweeping instruments) and polishers, in order to eliminate all the bacterial plaque causing the problem. This task is what our specialists will carry out, so that after cleaning, the inflammation decreases and the gum adheres to the tooth again, forming a barrier so that bacteria do not pass through.
The basic treatment is carried out in parts. The mouth is divided into 4 quadrants, each of which is treated in different sessions. Each cleaning session is performed under local anesthesia, so it doesn't hurt. Its duration is about 45-60 min. At the end of the session and the anesthetic effect subsides, the patient reports very little discomfort, and in 3 or 4 days the state of the gums improves amazingly.
2. Regenerative treatment
In severe cases, when the affectation is very large and has been prolonged over time, the patient has experienced considerable bone loss. In these cases, before any restorative treatment, it is necessary to replace the lost structures as much as possible. To do this, various biomaterials are used: membranes, amelogenin, bone, etc. All of these combine effectively to restore lost anatomy.
3. Care and maintenance
Periodontitis is caused by a generalized infection of the mouth. Therefore, at Clínica Sensus we recommend:
-Maintain optimal levels of hygiene that prevent bacterial development.
-Brush your teeth after every meal.
-Visit the dentist every 4 or 6 months for a review.