Periodontal Health, Smile Africa - Dental Clinic in Nairobi Kenya

Periodontal is anything that has to do with teeth. The most common ailment affecting the teeth is periodontal or gum disease. Your mouth harbors lots of bacteria. When bacteria combine with other particles in the mouth, they form a sticky colorless substance that attaches on your teeth. The name given to this substance is plague. In order to rid your mouth of plaque, dentists advise that you brush your teeth regularly using a toothbrush and toothpaste. You should also floss your teeth after brushing. If plaque stays on your teeth surface for long, it hardens and forms tartar. Tartar can only be removed by a dentist. 

Root planning

This is a dental process that involves cleaning the areas between gum and teeth all the way to the root. It is considered to be an effective treatment for gum disease. Because of the pain and sensitivity it causes, your dentist will first apply local anesthesia. This helps numb the roots and gums. He/she then takes a scrapping tool and scrapes off the entire section. Other sophisticated dentists use ultrasonic tools for scrapping but not always. Alternatively, your dentist can use fibers laced with antibiotic. He/she places them in pockets between the gums and teeth. After about a week, the fibers are removed. 

Expectation after receiving treatment

There is very little (if any) discomfort after planing and scaling has been done. Since anesthesia was used, you will experience numbness of the gums and lips for several hours. The feeling goes away as your mouth attains normalcy.

When is root planing done?

Root planing should be done when your gums show signs of receding form the teeth. On the other hand, there could be traces of tartar (a hard mineral deposit). 

Prevention of gum disease

If allowed to go unabated, you will have full blown gun disease. Treatment follows a very simple process. Once treated, you should continue with routine brushing and flossing. Also, quit smoking and stop use of all tobacco related products. 

Periodontal surgery

Surgical intervention is called for when traces of inflammation are spotted even after treating gum disease. Here is a brief on the surgical procedures:

Flap surgery: This is done by a specialist known as periodontist. The surgery involves lifting your gums so as to remove tartar. Once this is done, the periodontist sutures back your gums. After a while, your gums heal and tighten around the teeth. 

Tissue and bone grafts: The periodontist works to replace gum tissue or bone mass that has been wasted by periodontitis. He/she places synthetic bone material on the areas between gums and bones. This then prevents the gums from growing and occupying areas supposed to be having bones. 

Scaling and Polishing (Professional Cleaning)

The two dental procedures are carries out in order to remove tartar, the hard deposit that forms on teeth. These procedures also help to clean up plague and trapped food. The removed substances have the potential of being home to germs. Professional cleaning also rids your teeth of stains brought about by red wine, cigarettes, tea or coffee. A professional dentist will clean and polish your teeth thoroughly. By having regular sessions of scaling and cleaning, you will have taken a huge step towards preventing gum disease.