Health Blog 001: Treatment of Chronic Periodontal Disease

Photo as illustrated by www.martintaylordentistry.com

NON SURGICAL INSTRUMENTATION

The teeth is a very important part of our mouth because it helps primarily in chewing or breaking food into smaller pieces and which also aids in the proper digestion of nutrients that our body is required to absorb. Aside from taking our regular meals, we also take on snacks and other tempting occasional treats once in a while, making it exposed and prone to the buildup of dental plaque, which causes germs and bacteria to enter the tooth cavity. Brushing alone is not a guarantee that we can maintain good dental health nor the gargling of mouthwash and other dental antiseptics will assure us of avoiding chronic periodontal diseases.

The main purpose of this article is to educate patients about the treatment and therapy of chronic periodontal diseases without undergoing invasive surgery as well as offering them the comfort and peace of mind of undergoing modern dental treatment by looking into the possibilities and advantages of instrument selection for nonsurgical treatment.

The first important concept we are going to consider is periodontal probing. The dentist will use a periodontal probe, an instrument in dentistry described as long, thin and blunted, in order to measure pocket depths around the tooth and establish the state of health of the periodontium. This procedure is considered to be the most important part of assuring good dental health because the dentist will be able to assess the health of the gums and the teeth and recommend the right treatment or therapy for the patient.

The next principle we are going to discuss is the rationale behind the use of nonsurgical instruments in the treatment and therapy of chronic periodontal diseases. Patients in the past have long been suffering from the pain and discomfort of traditional dental instruments. Through the years, recent studies and research have discovered that there are several threats to dental health when dentists themselves do not upgrade the dental instruments they use on their patients. Aside from this development, it is astonishing to note that the dentists themselves are considered the threats in minimizing or reducing the onset of periodontal diseases because there is a high probability of human error. This mistake is often aggravated by confusing or misleading medical recommendations because of the absence of modern dental instruments, pocket depths, access, and visibility of the affected tooth are not charted and assessed precisely and accurately.

In a similar manner, the concept of conscious oral hygiene among the patients has been stressed many times in the past in order to encourage prevention rather than experiencing an amount of cure for chronic periodontal diseases. All forms of treatment or therapy will be futile if the patient himself does not cooperate and help himself. In addition, the success of any treatment or therapy using nonsurgical procedure lies not only on the expertise of the dentist but also on the patient’s oral hygiene consciousness.

Lastly, we conclude this discussion stating that the success on the use of nonsurgical instruments in treating chronic periodontal diseases has been the best innovation so far in the world of dentistry. The dentist will no longer exert so much effort while doing dental procedures because latest dental instruments are now easy to grip, lightweight and have more wider handles, giving it an ergonomic design that will also give dental patients a higher level of comfort even if undergoing treatment or therapy.

Of all the types of treatment, therapy and dental procedures enumerated, preventing the buildup of plaque in between teeth and on the cavity is still best avoided by regular brushing of  our teeth before and after meals and of course, going or visiting the dentist once in a while in order for him to give beneficial and long-lasting dental health recommendations or suggestions.

In order to assess and evaluate  what you have learned from the topics discussed earlier, let us answer these questions as part of our review:

1.      What do you call the instrument used by dentists in measuring pocket depths around the tooth in order to assess the health of the periodontium?

      A. periodontal probe                B.sickle probe              C, straight probe           D. mouth mirror

      2. What is the most common problem in treating periodontal problems?

A.     traditional instruments B. human error C. expensive versions     d. cumbersome designs

3, Who is the best person to take care of your oral health?

A.     dentist              B. instrument manufacturers      C. yourself        D, toothpaste makers

4. Which of these is an innovation in modern nonsurgical instruments?

A.     easier grip         B. wider handles           C, lightweight                D. all of the above

5. What is usually the first basic step in maintaining oral hygiene?

A.     oral antiseptics B.  mouthwash  C. dental checkup        D. brushing your teeth

Tooth disease is not anymore a surprising fact in dentistry or dental health care. In order to stop if not to minimize the problem, recent studies or research has been a great help to patients undergoing therapy or treatment, especially on the innovation of manufacturing nonsurgical instruments. It is duly noted that the detection and treatment of a simple tooth decay could minimize or even reduce the possibility of having a chronic periodontal disease. The challenge is always passed on the patients because they are the ones making decisions for themselves, and, obviously, taking care of themselves in a lot of ways.

Our habit of eating every day and not being conscious about it will make room for germs and bacteria entering our mouth and invading our tooth cavities. The accumulation of dental plaque in between our teeth and the regular consumption of food, allows acids to mix with our saliva, thereby, acting as a contributory factor in making our teeth weak and defenseless.

Regular or periodic dental appointments with our dentist allow him to examine the health of our gums and the stability of our molars, incisors, and canines among others. An inflamed or swollen gum would mean that the tooth rooted in it is in a bad condition. Dentists will never extract your tooth if you have fever, infection and especially if you are hypertensive.

With the innovation on nonsurgical instruments, dentists can now carefully assess the depth of the pocket where the teeth are growing or developing. The periodontal probe, which was mentioned earlier, has specific markers, telling your dentist of the status of your teeth. One to three millimeters depth is normal and considered as a healthy gum and teeth while if it goes deeper to four and beyond, there is already a sign of initial periodontitis, which, if ignored and not treated early, would probably result to chronic periodontal disease.

Aside from the accumulation of dental plaque and mouth acidity, gingivitis is one common culprit in causing alveolar bone loss. The reason why we suffer from a toothache is not only attributed to germs, microbes, bacteria, and acids but also to tooth decay. If we don’t give or pay attention to these signs and symptoms, we’ll probably end up losing all our teeth in our early adult life.

Thanks to the birth of nonsurgical instrumentation. We are now assured of a stress-free dental check-up and procedure with our dentist. Gone are the days when we shiver to our bones, knowing that we are going to sit again on that revolving chair, with the blinding light and all the scary dental instruments sucked into our mouth. We can now open our mouth widely and confidently say “Ahhh”.