Gum Treatment

Regular Dental Maintenance

A continuous care programme for your teeth and gums is equally beneficial for both children and adults. Implementing a preventive dentistry philosophy as part of your ongoing general and oral health routine, often results in less treatment time and reduced cost for dental procedures.

Scheduling and attending appointment check-ups every six months enables the Richmond Fine Dentistry team to assess and monitor your oral health, this is especially vital for children as their teeth and facial bone structure are still developing. By monitoring this development, we can diagnose and correct any structural problems.

Gum disease in its early stage is not only treatable but also reversible. Gingivitis is caused by the accumulation of plaque and calculus on your teeth causing gum irritation and inflammation resulting in swollen and tender gums that bleed when brushing and flossing.

Periodontitis is the advanced stage of gum disease and is the leading cause of adult tooth loss. It is estimated that 80% of adults will be affected by some form of gum disease at some point in their lifetime; making the practice of preventive dentistry just as important for you as it is for your children. Although a good daily oral hygiene routine will decrease your chances of developing gum disease, it will not eliminate it totally.

Senstive teeth?

If you get a sudden burst of pain or a prickly feeling when you have a cold/hot drink/food, eat some sweet/sour food/drinksyou may have dentine hypersensivity. Pain from dentine hypersensitivty is not always there, it comes and goes.  Continous pain could be a sign of a more serious problem and woud need to be check by Dr Harper, becasue similar pain can be the result of other dental diseases and conditions, such as decay and cracked tooth syndrome.

• Causes of sensitive teeth: dentine exposure can be casued by receeding gums, tooth brush abrasion, vomiting or reflux and grinding teeth.  Good oral hygiene instruction can help minimise the effects of toothbrush abrasion and using over the counter products can help with reducing sensivity.  At Richmond Fine Dentistry we have numerous products available to help with your sensitive teeth that can only be administered by a dentist.

Sensitve teeth can be a significant dental issue as the population ages- it can be quite distressing to some people, but there are often solutions to your problem.

Between your gums and teeth is a small "V" shaped area known as the sulcus. Periodontal (gum) disease is an infection that affects this space and causes the supportive tissues to pull away from your teeth. This is called a gum pocket and allows bacteria to build-up around the tooth root. This causes an infection and irreparable damage to the supportive bone, which in turn leads to the tooth becoming loose and eventually falling out.

Only through having your teeth professionally cleaned, a procedure called root planning and scaling using specially developed fine instruments to smooth the surface of your tooth, is it possible to remove the build-up of calculus (tartar) from your tooth surface and below your gum-line, as this cannot be accomplished by brushing and flossing.

Another side effect of gum disease and perhaps the most embarrassing, which many sufferers are unaware of, is constant bad breath. Clinically known as Halitosis. It is caused by the accumulation of bacteria in your mouth and made worse by poor oral hygiene, tooth decay and gum disease producing a constant odour.

To maintain your oral health between hygiene appointments, brush your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste twice a day for at least two minutes using a soft-bristled toothbrush with a small head to enable you to reach all areas of your mouth. Floss at least once a day to remove any food caught between your teeth not able to be removed through brushing, we recommend you floss before bed so as to remove any food caught between your teeth from your daily meals. Please feel free to talk to our team for effective brushing and flossing advice.

Preventing gum disease extends beyond achieving and maintaining your oral health; numerous studies over recent years have also linked gum disease to an increased risk of other concerning general health conditions, namely heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke and lower birth weights of newborns. This is an area of emerging interest and much research is being undertaken.