Periodontics

Periodontics is the dental specialty that prevents, diagnoses and treats gum diseases and the supporting tissues of the tooth. These diseases affect 90% of adults over 35 and are the leading cause of tooth loss worldwide.

Periodontal diseases

The most common are gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis is an inflammation of the supporting tissues without affecting the bone. Periodontitis also causes bone loss. If we do not treat it, teeth will progressively lose bone until they fall out.

The treatment of periodontitis begins with a hygiene phase in which all the factors that cause the disease are eliminated, such as the presence of plaque or calculus, and the patient is instructed to improve their oral hygiene at home.

In cases where bone loss is already advanced, surgical treatment is required to prevent progression of the disease.

Have you experienced any of these symptoms?

Inflamed or painful gums
Bleeding gums
Loose teeth
Bad breath
The appearance of recessions — that is, the root of some teeth becomes visible
Increased tooth sensitivity

Treatment of periodontal diseases

As periodontics experts in Terrassa, we have carried out numerous periodontal treatments over the years. Depending on each patient’s condition, treatment may consist of several stages:

Professional prophylaxis or dental cleaning

Even if you brush your teeth at least twice a day, you may not completely remove all deposits on their surface, known as dental plaque. This is a thin film of bacteria that adheres to the tooth surface if they are not cleaned properly.

Over time, if this film is not removed, it becomes tartar, which increases the probability of suffering periodontal diseases such as gingivitis or periodontitis.

Tartar cannot be removed by regular brushing at home, so it is necessary to visit the dentist for a professional dental cleaning or prophylaxis.

Scaling and root planing (curettage)

Scaling and root planing is the most widely used treatment to stop the progression of periodontal disease, eliminating periodontal infection in the majority of cases.

The treatment is painless (performed under local anesthesia) and does not present complications, making it a highly recommended option for treating periodontal disease.

Periodontal surgery

In cases where scaling and root planing has not been enough to stop disease progression, periodontal surgery will be necessary.

Periodontal surgery is a simple surgical procedure performed under local anesthesia. Its aim is to access the root to remove calculus deposits and reduce periodontal pockets.

When pockets are absent, bacteria have nowhere to nest if we keep good hygiene; therefore we will not lose more bone and we can keep our teeth.

The procedure is not painful and you will be able to resume your normal activity afterwards. You may initially notice more space between teeth and increased sensitivity. Time, meticulous hygiene and some patience will reduce hypersensitivity.

Regardless of the process necessary to eliminate the periodontal infection, the key is to go to a clinic with specialists in the treatment. If you are looking for a periodontics expert in Terrassa, we can help you.

Real cases from our patients

What is periodontal maintenance?

Once active treatment of periodontal disease is completed, we always need to establish periodic control and hygiene visits that we call maintenance.

The frequency of these visits is determined according to each patient’s individual risk of suffering periodontitis again. During these visits the hygienist checks your plaque level, whether there is bleeding, inflammation or pockets, removes all calculus and plaque by prophylaxis and/or scaling as needed, and reviews at-home oral hygiene techniques.

If inflammation or pockets are found, a periodontist visit is required to determine an action plan. It is important to understand that the disease is chronic, and therefore requires ongoing care.

Frequently asked questions about Periodontics

Why do I have bone loss if I brush my teeth? What causes this disease?

The primary cause is dental plaque. Certain specific bacteria create gingival inflammation and trigger a cascade of signals in our body that leads to bone loss.

That said, other factors such as genetic susceptibility, immune deficiencies, tobacco, certain systemic diseases, stress, etc., can accelerate disease development.

If we learn an effective brushing technique and attend periodic controls with the hygienist or dentist/periodontist, the disease can be cured and bone loss will stop.

Can my roots be covered if I have gum recession?

Gum loss is called recession. Recessions can cause sensitivity, root cavities, discomfort when brushing and are an aesthetic problem. Certain recessions are very predictable to cover, while others — due to bone loss — will be difficult to cover. To cover gums we can use a small graft from the palate or a substitute. The result is very aesthetic and eliminates discomfort and the risk of cavities.

Can implants suffer bone loss?

Just as teeth can develop gingivitis and periodontitis, implants can suffer mucositis and peri-implantitis, respectively. In mucositis there is inflammation of the tissues around the implant without bone loss, while in peri-implantitis bone support has started to be lost. This is one of the reasons we place so much importance on follow-up after placing an implant, especially in patients with a history of periodontal disease.

Treatment of peri-implantitis is complex and will require surgery to clean the implant. In some cases part of the lost bone can be regenerated; in others, where bone loss is advanced, we may be forced to remove the implant.

Any questions? We will solve them

We are located in Terrassa.