Dental Hygiene & Gum Health Treatments

Gum disease is said to happen when your gums become inflamed, which causes the gums to become sore, often characterised by bleeding and swelling. If the situation is allowed to continue, it may damage the bone and tissues supporting your teeth, resulting in gum infections, receding gums, loose teeth and even tooth loss. Gingivitis and periodontitis are two major types of gum disease.

To maintain healthy teeth and gums, regular dental hygiene therapy appointments are important. After your first appointment, our team of dental hygiene experts will recommend a personalised routine for you.

Gingivitis is the initial stage of gum disease. It occurs when your gums react to the bacteria-containing plaque. This causes the gums to turn red, inflamed, swollen and the gums may bleed while brushing.

Thankfully, gingivitis is very much reversible. A dental hygienist in Leeds may help you with gum disease treatment by eliminating plaque as well as tartar build-up around your gum line. Once the bacteria is gone with plaque, your gums heal and return to normal. A good oral hygiene routine at home – which includes interdental cleaning and regular visits to your hygienist – helps prevent gingivitis.

If gingivitis – the initial stage of gum disease – is left untreated, it may lead to periodontitis. Periodontitis causes irreversible damage to the bone, ligament and gum that holds your tooth. If left untreated, it will eventually lead to tooth loss, but the good news is that a skilled dental professional in Leeds can control the condition and limit this damage.

Periodontitis happens when the structures that support the teeth (the bone, ligament and gum) are damaged due to gum disease, which leads to gaps between the gum and tooth. These deep pockets facilitate bacterial growth beneath the gum line, creating plaque and tartar deposits on the tooth roots – the place where the tooth is far more sensitive and susceptible to infections. This causes damage to the ligament and bone holding the teeth securely, eventually resulting in recession of the gums, bleeding gums, sensitive teeth, gum infections, bad breath, loose teeth and even tooth loss.

Using root planing, our experienced dental hygiene therapist in Leeds can remove the bacteria from your tooth roots, which will safeguard them from further bacterial damage. Another potential treatment is gum grafts that help restore lost gum tissue while protecting exposed tooth roots from damage.

Most people experience some level of gum disease during their lives – usually in the form of mild gingivitis. Thankfully, our team at One Two Three Dental can effectively help you manage your condition. As a matter of fact, gum disease is the leading reason for adult tooth loss. Since gum disease tends to develop slowly, it can easily go unnoticed. That’s why regular dental health examinations in Leeds are important. Our team of experienced dental professionals can spot any signs early on and offer suggestions to keep healthy teeth and gums.

Gum disease is caused by plaque that is not properly removed. Plaque is a sticky layer of bacteria that builds up on your teeth and gums every day. While some bacteria are harmless, others can cause gum disease. To keep its growth under control, it is important to take necessary oral hygiene steps and clean the tooth surface daily with brushing and flossing.

Regular professional cleanings by our dental hygiene therapist in Leeds can also help prevent and even treat gum disease on time.

The first symptom of gum disease is usually bleeding when brushing or spitting. Your gums might also bleed during eating while leaving a bad taste in your mouth or causing bad breath. Sometimes, gum disease might not show any obvious symptoms altogether. Therefore, we recommend regular dental check-ups to diagnose it before it is too late.

Schedule a comprehensive dental health examination appointment with a qualified dentist in Leeds to get your teeth and gums checked. Also, explain your symptoms to the dentist. Your dentist will calculate the depth of pockets between the gum and every tooth to find out any sign of the beginning of periodontal disease. In some cases, x-rays are used to find the amount of damaged or lost bone. It is important to timely assess the kind and severity of the disease to suggest the right gum disease treatment course.

Yes, smoking worsens gum disease. It also reduces oxygen in your bloodstream, which means your gums may not heal properly if infected. Smoking also increases your risk of gum disease, which still remains the leading cause of adult teeth loss.

Usually, gum disease does not hurt, so you might fail to realise that it is getting worse. Having said that, if the bacteria become more active, your gums might become sore and you may observe pus or abscesses around your gums – sometimes accompanied by pain.

With the progression of gum disease, the bone holding the teeth may get destroyed, which can cause gum recession, bad breath, loose teeth and eventually tooth loss. The longer the gum disease treatment in Leeds is delayed, the harder it will be to manage the condition.

The treatments for gum disease in Leeds may vary from patient to patient, based on the stage and severity of the disease. First off, our dental hygienist in Leeds will remove hard plaque that can’t be eliminated with brushing. They will also check the depth of the gaps between your gums and teeth. Accordingly, your dental hygiene expert will decide what treatment you will need further.

You will be shown how to clean your teeth properly at home, while effectively removing plaque. This might require a few sessions with your hygienist. If needed, they may clean deeper around the roots of your teeth – a treatment called root surface debridement or root planning. This may require the administration of a local anaesthetic and may cause some tenderness or sensitivity for a day or two after the procedure.

The answer is both ‘Yes’ and ‘no’. Our goal at One Two Three Dental is to stop gum disease from worsening, to keep your mouth healthy. Having said that, we can’t reverse the damage that’s already been done, such as bone loss or receding gums.

That’s why early treatment is so important. With the right care, we can slow down or stop the disease progression and prevent further damage.

It is crucial that you brush every part of each tooth daily to keep plaque at bay. Our team will teach you the proven techniques and make sure you get the right treatment at the right time through regular dental health examinations.