General Procedures

Periodontal disease is an illness that affects gums and all the tissues that support the tooth
(hence the name periodontal, around the tooth) causing slow degradation.
It has a wide prevalence within the population and it’s a major cause of tooth loss particularly over
the age of 50. It has a genetic base that can and should be fought.
The bacteria present in the plaque will silently cause loss of tooth support over the years and its effects are more visible after the age of 50:

Teeth seem bigger because of retraction of gums
Dark triangles near the gums (Loss of gingival papillae)
Spaces appear between teeth (Teeth start to move)
Tooth mobility
Recurrent abscesses (due to pockets on the root of your teeth).

The basis for controlling this disease is early detection, more frequent dental cleanings and sub-
gingival curettage.

At home meticulous oral hygiene (the periodontal disease feeds itself on bacteria, if you remove
the bacteria then you slow the disease).
Periodontal surgery for management of deeper and less accessible areas and focus of infection
When you see the manifestation of the disease it is unfortunately sometimes too late to save to
save some teeth.

If you’re pregnant you should go to an appointment with your Dentist.

Many times we see a gingivitis of hormonal cause during pregnancy so extra care to all hygiene
and cleaning are necessary, on the other hand pregnancy is not impeditive of doing dental
treatment (for example treating cavities).
As for the Dentist he will use the type of Anesthesia without adrenaline and obviously will not do
radiographs.

Unfortunately many people only go to the Dentists when something happens, or they have some
complain because they have the wrong perception, that if they don’t feel anything, everything is
ok.
This posture can and will be will cost you in terms of your Oral Health and in terms of costs,
because many problems don’t give any signs but can be detected on an early fase by the dentist
and be dealt with less complicated and less expensive procedures.

It is important to see your Dental Hygienist every six months and your Dentist at least once a year
to keep your mouth in good health and to detect any problems when they arise.

At night the production of saliva diminishes (our natural oral elixir as it flushes away bacteria and
food debris). Because of this, the bacteria and food debris remain longer around the tooth and on
the surface of the tongue and are responsible for the bad breath.
We can now see the importance of doing a good meticulous Oral Hygiene before going to bed.

The dental plaque builds up every day and is only effectively removed by a mechanical action so
just rinsing with water even with any oral elixir doesn’t do the work.
There has to be a mechanical action provided by a good brushing technique, with special
attention to the sulcus between the gum and the tooth, and the use of a means of interdental
cleaning either by flossing or by dental brush.

Cavities are caused by bacteria so they have to be faced as a disease and not as isolated facts.

The first thing to do is treat every cavity in your mouth because each cavity is going to ruin not
only the tooth but also will contaminate the saliva with cariogenic bacteria that can and will affect
other teeth.

A proper brushing and flossing technique to daily eliminate plaque is very important as well as
eating a diet poor in sugars.

At home you can use a toothpaste specific for dental sensitivity and avoid acid food like oranges, lemons, sodas, etc.

In the office, application of sealants and desensitizers as well as fillings with aesthetic materials on the base of your tooth.

Gingival bleeding is not normal nor desirable, it is a sign of inflammation of the gum or even a
periodontal disease (a process that involves not only the gum but also the tissues beneath the
gum that support the tooth periodontal ligament and alveolar bone).
When gums bleed people often do exactly the wrong thing, they stop brushing the gums and
don’t touch them in order for them not to bleed. What happens is that more and more plaque
accumulates so the bleeding gets worse.
You should schedule a Dental Hygienist appointment to do a Dental Cleaning and learn the
correct flossing and brushing techniques to efficiently remove the plaque every day.

If you lose a tooth from trauma you should:

Rinse it very carefully with water to remove dirt.
Try not to touch the root and hold the tooth by the crown (part of the tooth that is visible and is outside the gum in your mouth)
Store the tooth in your mouth between the gum and your cheek or under your tongue. When this is not possible store it in milk.
Contact your dentist and go immediately to the office so that the tooth can be Re-Implanted as soon as possible raising the chances of success of this procedure.