| Our Services - Hygiene |
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In our practice, the Doctors and Hygienists work together to develop a treatment plan suited to each individual patient. There is a continuum of health ranging from optimum at best to tooth loss at worst. The range includes optimal health, gingivitis, mild periodontitis (bone loss), moderate periodontitis, severe periodontitis and tooth loss.
The best way we as health professionals can discover your state of health is to do a complete periodontal charting. The hygienist will measure your gums to determine the depth of the space or pocket next to the tooth. The pockets are recorded in millimeters. Depths up to 2-3 mm are considered healthy. Once they reach 4mm, we consider this to be the first sign of periodontitis or bone loss. As the depth of the pocket increases, the types of bacteria that live there change and become more destructive. X-Rays accurately show the bone loss against the teeth. As well, the hygienists will discuss medical and life-style issues which can contribute to the disease.
There is a link between general health and periodontal disease. Diabetics are at a greater risk of having elevated blood glucose levels when the gums are infected. There is a correlation to heart disease and the survival rate after a heart attack in patients with infected gums. There is a 2-3 times greater risk of not surviving when gum disease is present. Pregnant women run the risk of having premature low-weight babies when their mouths have active periodontal disease. There are many reasons for losing the bone and ligament support of the teeth. Hormone changes and poor nutrition are common reasons. If the bite between the teeth does not fit properly, the bone can be destroyed from too much pressure when the teeth move back and forth. Lack of exercise and too much stress can lead to bone loss from a weakened immune system. Tobacco is a major cause, because it alters the blood flow in the gums, and the toxins that are released destroy the supporting structure of the jaws. Medications can alter the saliva flow in the mouth and impact your oral health.
The hygienists take all these factors into consideration when developing a plan to help you reach a higher state of health. Some patients require appointments every three months to work with the hygienist at gaining control over the disease. Healthy people can usually go for nine months between visits and maintain the health of their mouths at home. The hygienist will help you develop strategies with home care instruments such as Water Piks, Sonic toothbrushes, Flossing aids, Interproximal brushes and Irrigation solutions. There may also be a need to make nutritional changes to alter your disease. With advanced Periodontal Disease, it is usually necessary to freeze the mouth before treatment. The roots under the gums will be scaled with ultrasonic instruments and irrigation solutions will be used to destroy the bacteria colonies organized in the deep pockets. In some cases bacterial cultures are sent to a pathology lab to identify the correct antibiotic needed for treatment. The therapy can take anywhere from 2-6 visits. Once stabilized, the patient will then come at regular intervals. We view the hygienist as a partner or personal coach who will help you to take the best possible care of your oral health. Please refer to the article on Gum Disease under Educational Information for more information on Periodontal Disease. |
