GUM DISEASE AND GUM CARE | Why You Should Care

Website Team Technicians • February 5, 2019

Summer 2019 | Edition 1

I have so many oral and dental health topics lined up! But let’s talk about gum health coming in to the new year.

Surely, you’ve heard your dentist, or the label on your oral healthcare product, bang on about gum disease. So, what is the big deal? Why do we care? Most importantly, why should YOU care?

Well basically, healthy gums provide a healthy foundation for your teeth. It is very possible to have perfectly whole teeth, without holes or fillings or any other dental restoration, yet still lose them. I see it all too often while working in my clinical role. The heartbreaking part is, a lot of the time, these people will have had NO IDEA at all that they were in trouble. Trouble that began long ago and avoidable if they knew that simply regular visits to their general dentist would have picked up signs of disease so much earlier on and prevention strategies put in place. A lot of the time, gum disease develops silently. No pain, no noticeable changes. And if there’s anything noticeable, often that will be a sign of very advanced disease, such as: loose teeth, pus draining into the mouth, bleeding, bad smell, bad breath, teeth drifting and changes in alignment, sometimes even a tooth falling out spontaneously!

So breaking the bad news to these people, who had no expectation of such a detrimental problem, can be hard work. In fact, I feel it’s one of the hardest parts of my job. Understandably, such unwelcome facts are hard to digest and accept. People are often at first rather incredulous about their condition, then emotional and shocked that teeth will be lost, and then concern about the treatment required to replace newly lost teeth, which could stretch the budget. Treatment is also often not straightforward to plan either.

What is gum disease then?

Gum disease covers gingivitis and periodontal disease.

Gingivitis is when only the gum is affected by inflammation. The inflammation is a process that occurs as your body’s natural reaction to presence of bacterial plaque and associated toxins. Gingivitis develops quickly and can also be quickly resolved (usually).

Periodontal disease occurs when the inflammation spreads past the gum tissue into the jaw bone and ligaments that hold your teeth into the bone. Result is bone loss and attachment loss of the teeth. The more advanced the disease, the more bone and attachment loss. Final result, if left untreated, is loss of affected teeth.

And what can you do to prevent gum disease?

Most people are advised to see their dentist for routine care and maintenance every six months. Those with active concerns come back at closer intervals, depending on the state of their condition.

Care at home is extremely important in disease prevention as well as control and maintenance. Everybody is advised to brush their teeth at least two times a day - thoroughly! And flossing between the teeth at least once a day. The purpose of these activities is plainly to remove bacterial plaque. Remember, plaque doesn’t always need to be visible to be present!

Your dentist should also provide guidance and correction to your technique, if necessary.

More information about Oral Health and Gum Disease can be found here - https://www.manchesterunitydental.com.au/oral-health

What about smoking?

No surprises here, smoking is bad for your mouth and gums. The toxic effects dampen your natural immune protection from the bacterial insult coming from the plaque. So destruction of gum and bone is usually a lot more rapid among smokers. Response to treatment is also less successful, healing takes more time, and often recovery is a lot slower.

You probably know already about the links between smoking and cancer. In the mouth, smoking directly causes oral cancers. As a dentist, I take oral cancer screening very seriously and it is performed at every routine dental maintenance appointment for my patients. My subset of patients who smoke receive specially close attention on both their gum condition as well as oral tissues changes.

---- Any questions or concerns, Dr. Vivian Leung and Team at Manchester Unity Dental are always glad to help. Contact us via PHONE 9654 8055 ; EMAIL info@manchesterunitydental.com.au ; SOCIAL MEDIA – Facebook and Instagram @manchesterunitydental – like and follow for more tips, news, promotions and interesting dental

DENTAL TOURISM | Are The “Bargain Prices” Too Good To Resist?

By Website Team Technicians • March 18, 2019
February 2019 Sometimes, I see patients that tell me they will choose to have their dental treatment overseas. And because I have built a good rapport with these patients, (your dentist/any other healthcare provider should be someone you like and trust) they tell me upfront that this is their plan and the reason is the significant cost cut. Every time. I always respect people’s choices. However, as their trusted health care professional, it is my responsibility to give them a few warnings and that way, they can make a properly informed decision. So, the obvious question, “Why is treatment so much more expensive in our country?”. I advise my patients to do thorough research on the product they are getting, the quality, and competency of their treatment provider. But that is a lot easier said than done. A lot of aspects of dentistry, are not black and white. It’s kind of like asking anyone to draw a portrait of you, and you choose them based on price without knowing their level of skill and ability of the artist. When one actually thinks about this, it absolutely does not make sense, especially with dentistry that requires a high level of detail and acuity. Sometimes mistakes can be fixed, but most “fix ups” will result in a less desirable result and ends up costing more money and time. Often the case is that you and no body else will be able to identify what extra unnecessary damage was done. Even worse is when blatant incompetency causes significant destruction which may not be retreatable, requiring a more complicated (and probably expensive) treatment plan to restore the function, comfort and aesthetics you desired in the beginning. And this is not just a problem with major dental items but also with the lower cost, regular items like fillings. Tooth structure is valuable and irreplaceable. Place your trust in a skilled, quality educated, reliable and conscionable practitioner. Your health and longevity of dental work is an important asset! ---- Any questions or concerns, Dr. Vivian Leung and Team at Manchester Unity Dental are always glad to help. Contact us via PHONE 9654 8055 ; EMAIL info@manchesterunitydental.com.au ; SOCIAL MEDIA – facebook and Instagram @manchesterunitydental – like and follow for more tips, news, promotions and interesting dental updates.