About Periodontics

India Dental Clinic provides information about periodontics (gum care) & procedures in India. Periodontics is a branch of dental specialty that deals with the diseases of gums and tissues around the teeth. Periodontist is a specialist (gum care dentist) who receives advance training in the treatment related procedures. He specializes in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment, surgical and non-surgical, of periodontal (gum) diseases. As an Implantologist, he also does the planning, placement and maintenance of dental implants (perio implants), sometimes teaming up with an oral & maxillofacial surgeon. Periodontal disease (gum disease) is the inflammation and infection of gum tissue. Gingivitis is a reversible form, but it may progress to the more serious periodontitis. Full mouth debridement is often performed. The minor and advanced cosmetic gum surgery treatments may also be considered, including gum depigmentation, gingivectomy, gingivoplasty, gingival flap surgery, soft-tissue grafts, guided tissue regeneration (GTR), and crown lengthening. Infections of the mouth can lead to abscessed teeth and gums. Unlike other forms of gum disease, necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (NUG) develops rapidly, especially in smokers. Thrush is a yeast infection of the mouth.

There are numerous disease entities requiring different periodontal treatment approaches at India Dental Clinic. The measures that are commonly adopted at dental clinics in India for treating the gum diseases are:

Curettage: It is a method in which bacteria and dead tissue are surgically scrapped from inflammed or infected gums (pocket). This periodontal procedure is usually performed one quadrant at a time using an instrument called a curette, permitting the infected area to heal.

Flap surgery: It is resorted to after the scaling and root planing has not helped. Flap surgery involves lifting back the gums and removing the tartar. The gums are then sewn back in place so that the tissue fits snugly around the tooth. This method also reduces the pocket and areas where bacteria grow.

Bone grafts: In simple terms, tiny fragments of your own bone, synthetic bone, or donated bone are placed where bone was lost. Bone Grafting is a surgical procedure to place bone or bone substitute material into a bone defect (maybe destroyed in periodontitis or trauma) with the objective of producing new bone and possibly the regeneration of periodontal ligament and cementum, restoring stability to the loose teeth.

Soft tissue grafts: In a situation when tooth root is exposed due to receded gums, the soft tissue grafts reinforce thin gums or fills in the receded areas. Grafted tissue, most often taken from the roof of the mouth, is stitched in place over the affected area.

Guided tissue regeneration: This procedure is performed when due to advanced gum disease damaged bone and connective tissue support for teeth have not been restored with other treatments. Done in combination with flap surgery, this surgical technique, guided tissue regeneration (GTR) may be able to achieve regeneration and therefore improve upon conventional surgical results. It stimulates bone and gum tissue growth.

Bone (osseous) surgery: It is a procedure that reshapes damaged jawbone under the gum. Osseous surgery performed by a Periodontist, smoothes shallow craters in the bone due to moderate and advanced bone loss. Following flap surgery, the bone around the tooth is reshaped to decrease the craters. This makes it harder for bacteria to collect and grow.

Medications: Before resorting to surgical procedures, various medications (pills), toothpaste and mouth rinse are used to help kill or suppress the germs that cause periodontitis that leads to destruction of the tooth's attachment to the bone. In some cases, a dentist will prescribe a special anti-germ mouth rinse containing chlorhexidine to help control plaque and gingivitis.

Causes & Maintenance
The plaque and calculus are already known to be the primary cause of periodontal disease caused by the bacteria which regularly collect on the teeth. It is essential to attend a general dental practitioner regularly so that special assessment techniques like perio charting, sometimes including x-rays, can be carried out as part of your routine dental examinations at India Dental Clinic. Periodontal care and treatment is an investment in your health. A regular visit to your general dentist for teeth cleaning, scaling and polishing, oral prophylaxis, etc. helps maintain healthy gums. Treating periodontal problems will help you achieve a healthy mouth and help prevent tooth loss in extractions, necessitating a crown & bridge or partial denture or dental implant treatment. Periodontal treatment in India costs much less as compared to most of Gulft, American, European, and many Asian countries.

The potential factors that are commonly known to also contribute to gum disease besides lack of proper tooth brushing and flossing include the tobacco use, hormonal changes at puberty and pregnancy in women, stress, teeth grinding (bruxism), abusive and poor nutrition, illness, medications for other health reasons such as cancer or AIDS, etc. These factors are also thought to develop halitosis and increase the risk, severity, and speed of periodontal (gum) disease development. In fact, with prompt treatment, proper home care and regular dental visits, the great majority of patients can keep their teeth for a lifetime; heed to the advice by periodontist India. Most of the world class level periodontal care procedures are possible and affordable at India Dental Clinic during your dental care trip to India.