Dentistry

What Is Preventive Dentistry?

Preventive dentistry is the use of general dental care to maintain good oral health. The more that individuals care for their teeth the less likely it is they will need to undergo any treatments.

Two of the main causes of tooth loss are gum disease and dental decay. If individuals can care for their teeth and avoid these issues, they will be able to keep their natural teeth for life. Individuals can visit a private dentist in Nottingham who can provide expert advice on how to care for teeth and maintain good oral health from an early age.

What Is Gum Disease?

Gum disease is one of the most common occurrences amongst patients that visit private dentists in the UK. Gum disease occurs where there is swelling and infection in the tissue surrounding the teeth. Gingivitis and periodontitis are the two different types of gum disease that people suffer with.

Gingivitis is the swelling of the gums which occurs as a consequence of a build up of plaque or bacteria around the tooth tissue. Common signs of gingivitis include sore, red gums that bleed when individuals brush their teeth. Gingivitis can be easily treated through good oral hygiene.

Dentists will recommend individuals use antibacterial mouthwash, brush more frequently and use dental floss to ensure that bacteria is removed from the teeth and the gums after eating and drinking.

Also dentists will recommend that patients use an electric toothbrush, as this can clean teeth more effectively than a manual toothbrush. It is important that individuals do not ignore gingivitis as, if it gets left untreated, it is most likely to become periodontitis which is a serious condition.

Periodontitis is a more serious infection of the gums and is caused by bacteria that get stuck around the teeth. Individuals often suffer from periodontitis when they leave gingivitis untreated.

Periodontitis can lead to bone and tooth damage if it is not treated immediately. It is essential that patients maintain their oral hygiene together with the treatment that the dentist in their area may recommend.

The most common symptoms that patients suffer with at the early stages of periodontitis is that their gums start to recede and pull away from the teeth, leaving small gaps between the teeth and gums.

Bacteria form within the small gaps and this can be harmful as it can cause bleeding and potentially bone loss. If patients do not treat the periodontitis at this stage it will cause further damage to the bones and cause the teeth to start getting loose. The infection will spread and affect the rest of the teeth.

The dentist will be able to treat periodontitis in a number of ways depending on the level of severity. This will vary on a case-by-case basis and the individual will need to go through a thorough consultation.

The dentist will offer professional cleaning sessions to remove the plaque and tartar build-up on the teeth. Deep cleaning may be required in order to enable the periodontal pockets to heal effectively. In certain cases dentists give patients antibiotics to treat persistent gum infections that do not improve after cleaning sessions.

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