Periodontics Ankara

What is Periodontology?

Periodontology affects the hard (bone, cementum) and soft (gum, periodontal ligament) tissues surrounding the tooth, such as inadequate oral hygiene, incorrect tooth brushing, stress, teeth grinding, various systemic diseases, etc. It is a branch of dentistry that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases caused by various causes and aims to maintain the health of the tissues surrounding the tooth.

How Do We Know If Gums Are Healthy?

Healthy gums;

• There is no gum bleeding during brushing,
• Healthy gums are light pink in color, have an orange peel appearance and are firm.
• It wraps the tooth like a collar in the neck area of ​​the tooth and ends in a knife-edge shape where it meets the tooth.
• There is a distance of approximately 1-1.5 millimeters between it and the tooth.
• There is no mobility (shaking of teeth) in the teeth.

What are the symptoms of periodontal diseases?

The first and main symptom of periodontal diseases is bleeding gums. Bleeding does not occur in healthy gums. Other symptoms of periodontal disease can be listed as follows;

• Receding gums,
• Loss of jaw bones that support the teeth accompanied by gum recession,
• Redness, swelling, color changes in the gums,
• Inflammatory fluid discharge from the gums,
• Bad breath and constant bad taste in the mouth,
• Discordance in partial dentures,
• Teeth loosening and moving further away from each other.

What are the Causes of Periodontal Diseases?

The main cause of periodontal diseases is inadequate oral hygiene and incorrect tooth brushing. Bacterial accumulation in the mouth due to insufficient and incorrect tooth brushing causes inflammatory diseases.

Apart from these;

• Untreated caries: It can cause gum diseases because it increases bacterial retention in the mouth.
• Genetics: Genetic factors generally underlie gum diseases. Regular dentist check-ups are recommended for patients with a familial history of gum disease.
• Smoking: It causes rapid and aggressive development of periodontal diseases by reducing the blood supply and nutrition of oral tissues.
• Poor and inadequate nutrition: When it reduces the body's resistance, it invites gum diseases, like many diseases. As the defense system weakens, the risk of infection in the gums increases.
• Hormonal Changes: During periods of hormonal changes such as puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause, women's gums become sensitive and prone to disease. During such periods, regular dentist visits, protective preventive practices and periodic maintenance are important.
• Use of some medications: Birth control pills (oral contraceptives),anti-depressants and some heart medications can negatively affect oral and dental health, increase sensitivity, and damage the gums. When using such drugs, it is important that the relevant doctor, dentist and pharmacist are informed about the issue and reach a consensus.
• Stress: It paves the way for periodontal disease by disrupting the body's defense system.
• Teeth grinding: Teeth grinding and jaw clenching damage the tissues that support the teeth and accelerate tissue destruction.
• Diabetes: Diabetics are prone to infection and therefore gum disease. In diabetic patients, infections may be predisposing to periodontal disease or may accelerate the course of an already existing gum disease.
• Other systemic diseases: Any disease that disrupts the body's defense system also affects the condition of the gums. Some diseases that affect the general health of the person, such as heart, blood pressure, atherosclerosis, kidney diseases, AIDS and tuberculosis, can also directly cause gum diseases.

What are the Treatment Methods for Periodontal Diseases?

The first stage of periodontal treatments includes providing and maintaining oral hygiene through oral hygiene education. Moreover;

• Cleaning of dental stones and plaques that cause inflammation in periodontal tissues,
• Deep cleaning of gum pockets, called curettage, depending on the condition of periodontal disease,
• Dental scaling, curettage treatment and drug treatments when necessary,
• SDG, BDG etc. in gum loss. advanced surgical methods.

While these surgical and clinical treatments can be performed with classical methods, some of them can be performed with laser applications if the physician deems it appropriate and recommends it. Laser applications have been applied intensively and successfully in gum diseases in recent years.