usual gingivitis or the swelling gums that goes away after a couple of days of good brushing.” What should I do?
Dr. Tang: OK. Generally, there are two types of gum disease. One is gingivitis, which is reversible in nature. Another one is really – is we call periodontitis, which is irreversible in nature. So essentially for periodontitis, we’re dealing with two problems. First problem is infection in the gum and second problem is the bone loss that occurs as a result of the infection.
Dr. Chang: And that – I mean how would I know? Let’s say, if I got this thing called periodontitis, how would I know that I’ve got this condition? You did mention bone loss. I mean I presumed, are you talking about – would I have one of my teeth be loss? I mean what actually happens? If you can take a stage that you see in your practice, I mean there are stages, the gradual progression of this.
Dr. Tang: OK. The first thing you can do is get your local dentist or orthodontist to have a look and to check for the presence of infection. There are several parameters that we look at in the clinical setting.
Dr. Chang: You mean there are several things that you look for like when you see the patient?
Dr. Tang: That’s right. We check for inflammation. We check for swellings. We check for gum pockets. And in terms of bone loss, we definitely send the patient for x-rays. That will really tell us how much bone the patient had lost over the years as a result of periodontitis.
Dr. Chang: I see. OK.
Dr. Chang: So, can this gum disease be treated? And can a patient who has gum disease after gum treatment have gum disease again?
Dr. Tang: So like I said, a gum disease is simply and infection in the gum that leads to bone loss around the teeth. There is definitely a treatment for gum disease. So that involves a very good oral hygiene. So basic brushing and also professional cleaning which involves removing the bacteria under the gum.
Dr. Chang: As in like seeing one who has got expertise in this, as in a professional?
Dr. Tang: Yeah, a dentist, a hygienist, or a gum specialist. They are very well-trained in removing bacteria deposits under the gum. And that is crucial. And even if the gum infection is under control, the bacteria will always come back. And that’s why you still need to make sure you see your hygienist, dentist, or gum specialist regularly to make sure that the disease doesn’t come back.
Just like what you normally do, you continue to exercise on the daily basis in order to keep fit and healthy.
Dr. Chang: Yup. How often then should one who has got some gum disease be seeing their dentist or hygienist or periodontist?
Dr. Tang: In terms of the amount of time in between your visits with your dentist, hygienist, or gum specialist all depends on patient’s personal needs. But generally, once a patient’s gum condition is under control, we like to see them every six months for a regular reco and maintenance.
Dr. Chang: So now coming to people who are actually having their teeth straightened when we’re creating these straight and beautiful smiles on their teeth, I do know that for one, having really puffy gums can make any spaces, any gaps will be causing more difficulty. It can slow down the treatment. What about from the gum health point of view like it kind of move teeth when the gums are unhealthy or let’s say they were healthy before and then there are signs and now you know the bleeding gums and not cleaning well and they become unhealthy, how can it then affect in terms of their gum health?
Dr. Tang: So if this recurrence of gum infections during orthodontic treatment, there is an increased risk of further bone loss especially if you got forces being applied to move your teeth around. Really this is not something that you want. And so, gum infection has to be completely stable before, during, and after orthodontic treatment.
Dr. Chang: So in other words, it’s important to see your hygienist or your dentist or your gum dentist for these regular gum cleanings. Is that correct?
Dr. Tang: Clearly, yeah.
Dr. Chang: So lastly, can all dentists mana