Gum Disease

Periodontics is the area of dentistry that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of gum disease, which includes the gums, bone, and supporting tissues of the teeth. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss among adults.

Symptoms of gum disease can include:

• Bleeding gums.
• Bad breath.
• Loose teeth.
• Receding gums (gums pulling away from your teeth).
• Dark red (inflamed) gums.

One of the problematic aspects of identifying gum disease is that it rarely causes pain (often, patients don’t realise they have it). Despite this, the effects of gum disease can be catastrophic, causing tooth loss and wider health problems.

Attending routine hygienist check-ups is crucial for diagnosing and treating gum disease before it becomes serious. Your hygienist performs routine scale and polish cleaning to remove plaque and tartar.

Gum disease treatment at Hazelwood Dental

If your dentist or hygienist identifies symptoms of advancing or advanced gum disease (clinically known as periodontal disease), a tailored gum health plan can be collated to reverse the effects.

Your gum disease treatment plan may include one or more of the following techniques:

Scale and polish: A scale and polish is a routine cleaning process used to remove plaque and tartar (harmful by-products produced after you eat) from your gum line.

At Hazelwood, we’ve invested in sophisticated ultrasonic scaling to clean your teeth. This method is highly effective in breaking up the bacteria, which is then rinsed away with a jet of water.

It is also effective for gently cleaning underneath the gum line where the tooth roots are located (patients with sensitivity are often surprised at how discomfort-free this process is).

Root planing and debriding: This process is used to address plaque and tartar that have reached underneath your gum line and settled on your tooth roots. This becomes possible once gum disease starts to erode your gums and create pockets within the tissue.

Using root planing and debriding, your hygienist or dentist can remove the plaque and tartar. As the roots are smoothened in the process, the gums are encouraged to reattach to the teeth. We use our minimally invasive ultrasonic hand scaler to ensure you are comfortable throughout the procedure.

Gum recession treatment: As gum disease progresses, it can erode the gums and expose the dentin underneath them (which is more vulnerable to decay than your enamel).

A gum graft can be performed to replace the lost gum structure, which protects your teeth whilst improving the gum-to-tooth ratio.

Bone regeneration: Advanced gum disease (periodontal disease) can go on to damage the jawbone sitting underneath the diseased gums.

With a bone graft, we can create healthy new bone to replace bone lost through gum disease.

Why choose us?

We take the welfare of our patients extremely seriously, and we will always make clinical decisions that put your long-term medical well-being first.

Our practice is designed to provide a calm and comfortable experience, with a focus on personalised care to meet your unique needs. We use ultrasonic hand scaling equipment and Airflow® tooth polishing to remove plaque and tartar from every last corner of your mouth. What’s more, this method is known for being gentle on your teeth.

Our promise to you:

• We will offer you a complete range of options for your treatment.
• We shall put you in charge of making the decisions for your care.
• We will offer you a range of flexible payment options.
• We have flexible hours and are open on Saturdays (by appointment only).
• We are known for going the extra mile.
• We ensure our patients are treated with kindness and courtesy.