Periodontics & Gum Health
At Academy Dental Group in Winnipeg, our periodontist helps our patients prevent and manage periodontal (gum) disease.
What is Gum Disease?
Gum (periodontal) disease is an infection of the supporting tissues of the teeth, including the gums, gingiva, alveolar bone, cementum, and the periodontal ligament. Risk factors for gum disease include poor oral hygiene habits, smoking and systemic diseases that allow plaque to build up on the teeth and harden, eventually affecting the gums.
Our Periodontist
A periodontist is a dentist who specialized in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal disease, and in the placement of dental implants.
At Academy Dental Group, our periodontist Dr. Atout works with patients to prevent and manage periodontal disease.
For patients with advanced forms of gum disease, surgical treatments may be necessary to reverse the effects. Dr. Atout also performs oral surgeries including gum grafting, bone grafting, sinus lifts, and the placing of dental implants.
Stages of Gum Disease
Gum disease is difficult to detect when it first starts to develop, and many patients only begin to notice symptoms when they have progressed past the early stages.
Untreated, gum disease typically progresses in the following stages:
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is the first stage of periodontal disease. Plaque and its toxin by-products irritate the gums, making them tender, inflamed, and likely to bleed.
Periodontitis
Over time, plaque hardens into tartar. As tartar and plaque continue to build up without being removed, they cause the gums to begin to recede from the teeth. Eventually, pockets form between the gums and teeth, which become filled with bacteria and pus. The gums become irritated, inflamed, and bleed easily. Slight to moderate bone loss may occur.
Advanced Periodontitis
The teeth lose more support as the gums, bone, and periodontal ligament continue to deteriorate. Unless treated, the affected teeth will become very loose and may even fall out. Moderate to severe bone loss in the jaw may occur.
Gum Disease Treatment
Periodontal treatment methods depend upon the type and severity of the disease. If the disease is caught in the early stages, preventative therapy will be recommended.
Otherwise, your treatment will fall into one of the following categories:
Non-Surgical Gum Therapy
For patients with a mild form of gum disease, non-surgical gum therapy may be sufficient to reverse it. Non surgical gum therapy is essentially a deep cleaning performed by a dental hygienist. The hygienist will scrape away the plaque and tartar around and below the gum line, and smooth out any rough areas left behind through a process called scaling and root planing.
Surgical Gum Therapy
For patients with more advanced forms of gum disease, more invasive surgical treatments may be necessary to reverse the effects. There are a few different types of surgical gum therapy, including flap surgery, guided tissue regeneration, tissue grafting, and bone grafting.
Post-Treatment Maintenance
Once your periodontal treatment has been completed, our dental team will recommend that you have regular dental examinations and preventative therapy, usually four times a year.
Good oral hygiene practices and preventative therapy are essential in keeping periodontal disease under control.