North Main Family Dental is committed to focusing on your dental hygiene and overall oral health! This means decreasing inflammation through periodontal dentistry. When you have active periodontal disease, the typical routines of home maintenance, including daily dental hygiene and teeth brushing, may not be effective enough. Let North Family Dental provide the effective personal care you need so you maintain optimal oral health!
Healthy gums and teeth are the basis of a beautiful and healthy smile. While routine home maintenance is highly effective, it generally only focuses on areas of the teeth that are above the gum line. A professional cleaning, however, can clean your teeth above the gum line (called scaling) but also below the gum line as well (called root planing). With regular scaling and root planing procedures, we can remove the build-up of plaque, tartar (calculus), and bacterial toxins (biofilms) from the tooth surfaces below the gum line, which general home-care practices are unable to reach.
At North Main Family Dental, we understand that each patient will require a different hygiene schedule. However, most people come in a twice-per-year, or possibly more, depending on individual health needs, frequency of maintenance, and/or preventative care schedule. Our dedicated dental team will discuss with you how often you should have a dental cleaning based on your specific individual needs.
In order to find appointment times that fit with busy and active lifestyles, most of our clients pre-schedule their next visit with us. We will remind you with either a phone call or by e-mail when it is time for your next preventative care visit.
It is important to know that Gum Disease (also known as “Periodontitis”) can take many forms, each of which presents different levels of severity. If left untreated, severe periodontitis can eventually lead to tooth loss and other potential health problems.
We look forward to hearing from you soon. Call North Main Family Dental at (403) 980-0056 to set up a new Periodontal Care appointment today!
The most common form of periodontal disease is called gingivitis. Gingivitis causes your gums to become red and swollen, with a tendency to bleed easily. However, at this stage of progression, you may only be experiencing little or even no discomfort. Gingivitis is usually caused by an inadequate oral hygiene regimen. It is usually reversible with professional treatment and good oral hygiene habits such as regular brushing and flossing.
Gingivitis may be caused by several factors, including:
Periodontitis is the advanced form of gingivitis, and it occurs when gingivitis is left untreated. The gingivitis advances to the point where the plaque spreads below the gum line, which causes the invading bacteria to produce toxins and plaque, which irritates the gums themselves. The body reacts by producing an inflammatory response. Essentially, the body turns on itself. If periodontitis is left untreated, the end result is that the tissues supporting the bone, and therefore the teeth themselves, are broken down and destroyed by the bacteria and toxins.
The bacteria and toxins cause your gum tissues to separate from the teeth and form what are known as ‘pockets.’ These pockets are essentially spaces between the teeth and gums that have become infected. As the periodontitis progresses, these pockets deepen such that more gum and bone tissue is destroyed. Your teeth may eventually become loose and may even have to be removed as there is literally no longer any bone structure remaining to hold them in place.
Gum disease can occur at any age, and if detected in the early stages, can be reversed. Some signs that may signal the onset of gum disease include:
Healthy gums are firm and do not bleed when either brushing or flossing. You will notice that your gums fit snugly around your teeth.
When you have the mildest form of gingivitis (periodontal disease), the gums may appear mildly inflamed or appear red or swollen. If your gums bleed when brushing, this is also a major sign that you have periodontal disease.
Periodontitis is when your gums have begun to separate and recede from the teeth. This allows the plaque to move towards the roots, which function as the support mechanism to fibres and bone. When you have advanced periodontitis, the supporting fibres and bones are decayed, which can cause your teeth to become loose and may even result in the need for their removal!
By booking regular teeth cleaning and oral health checks, North Family Dental can help you stay on a path towards a lifetime of oral health!
If your periodontitis is not in the advanced stages, treatment may involve less invasive procedures, which include:
If you think you are experiencing Periodontal Disease, contact us today to book an appointment. We look forward to answering your dental questions and helping you and your family with all of your dental health needs.
WE INVITE YOU TO CHOOSE NORTH MAIN FAMILY DENTAL FOR YOUR AIRDRIE Periodontal Care NEEDS!
