EN
HR
DE
SL
Periodontology
Periodontium is a set of tissues that keep the tooth in its place. It serves as a support and as a foundation for the teeth. The periodontal tissue includes dental flesh (gingiva), periodontal ligament, tooth cement and bone surrounding the root canal.
Periodontal tissue plays an important role in the stability and health of the teeth. Since the chewing force is transmitted onto the jaw bone, it must be stable and healthy. If the periodontal tissue is withdrawn and lost, the teeth will be disrupted and might come out.
Periodontium therefore has the same importance for teeth health as enamel. This is also confirmed by the fact that the teeth in adults tend to deteriorate due to periodontal disease rather than caries.
Periodontics is a part of dental medicine that deals with the treatment and preservation of periodontal health. The disease we treat is called periodontal disease and it consists of two phases: gingivitis and periodontitis.
Gingivitis is a mild inflammation of the dental flesh (gingiva). Most commonly, we recognize it by the presence of blood in the content that is released after the teeth are brushed.
Gingivitis can be cured, but if ignored it can result in a chronic disease: periodontitis. Its long-term neglect creates a risk of losing teeth and serious damage to dental health.
Find out more about gingivitis on our web page “Periodontal disease: gingivitis” and more about periodontitis on our web page “Periodontal disease: periodontitis“.
Periodontic therapy
Periodontic therapy can have several phases. Sometimes changes in oral hygiene significantly improve the patient’s oral health. However, if this is not enough, it is necessary to apply more complicated procedures.
At Videntis Dental Center we have extensive experience in treating periodontal disease. Head of our dental center, dr. Vidović, has been educated in periodontics.
First of all, we recommend to patients to include dental floss, interdental brushes or teeth shower, etc in their oral hygiene routine. It is important to clean all the tooth surfaces properly.
In addition, care should be taken in brushing the teeth: the patient should not harshly brush their teeth and dental flesh. With rough brushing and using a hard toothbrush, even healthy dental flesh can pull away. Therefore, gentle brushing with a soft toothbrush is recommended. In addition, oral cavity rinse with antimicrobial agents is recommended.
After diagnosing periodontal disease, we will clean hard and soft deposits above the dental flesh level. Dental deposits propagate development and accumulation of bacteria. By ultrasonic cleaning, we will remove the calculus, while brushing and polishing teeth will ensure that the calculus is less likely to be formed. At this stage of periodontal therapy, it may be necessary to replace fillings that propagate plaque accumulation.
The first two phases of periodontal therapy may be sufficient to eliminate gingivitis and stop its progression into periodontitis. However, if the periodontal pockets have already developed in a patient, it is also necessary to clean the deposits accumulated below the dental flesh level, especially dental calculus and plaque, filled with bacterial toxins.
Toxins produced by bacteria cause the gum disease and its separation from teeth. Procedures at this stage include scaling and polishing of the root canal. If the patient adheres to oral hygiene advice, often after this phase periodontal therapy can be considered successful, with mandatory check-ups three to four times a year or more frequently.
With advanced periodontitis, it will be necessary to remove the inflamed tissue around the root canal and surrounding diseased soft tissue of the periodontal pocket. This is the third phase of periodontal therapy, and we call it resective periodontal therapy.
Resective therapy involves surgery of dental flesh covering the neck and the root of the tooth (so-called flap) and may include clinical extension of the tooth crown and covering of the visible teeth roots. All surgeries are performed in local anesthesia, painless for the patient.
Periodontal disease may eventually affect the jaw bone resulting in bone defects in a shape of a crater. The supporting bone structure is no longer able to keep the tooth in place and it needs to be repaired.
Contemporary periodontics we use in Videntis offers solutions for these situations as well. This is a so-called. regenerative therapy that is strongly advocated today: after cleansing the root of the teeth, the bone defect is filled with bioactive materials.
This include bone membrane, artificial bone and proteins that stimulate bone regeneration. The result is a renewed tooth support structure and restoration of the tooth stability.
In addition to these procedures, there are other surgical and regenerative procedures that can be applied to treat advanced periodontitis.
It is also important to note that patients who are suffering from periodontitis must undergo check ups several times a year, according to dentist’s and periodontologist’s advice.
If you trust us to treat your condition, we will do all we can to restore the health of your teeth and dental flesh as well as prevent progression of periodontal disease.
Do you have a problem or just want to gather more information?
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Our friendly staff will answer all your questions.
