When Does Gum Disease Require a Deep Cleaning? Sheffield

If you’re experiencing unpleasant symptoms that indicate the need to see a hygienist, you’re likely thinking, ‘where can I find a dentist near me who also deliver exceptional periodontal treatment?’ Here at one80 Dental, we offer comprehensive periodontal treatment and maintenance. We’re here with you every step of the way on your road to sustaining better gum health in the future.

Know your risk for gum disease

Good gum health starts at home. Here in Sheffield, our periodontal team are passionate about educating patients on at-home care so they can build their own healthy foundation for excellent gum health.

Patients who fail to brush for the recommended twice a day and who don’t floss after each meal are far more likely to be susceptible to gum disease than those who have a disciplined at-home routine. Lifestyle factors including using tobacco products, and prolific alcohol consumption can dramatically increase your risk of gum disease. In patients who are both regular smokers and drinkers, the two habits combined causes cells to become damaged.

If you are a smoker and regularly consume alcohol, we strongly recommend that you come in to see the hygienist more frequently than the average once or twice a year. In doing so, we can monitor the health of your gums’ and remove plaque and tartar that has built up as a consequence of smoking. Failing to have this removed will increase the risk of cavities and advanced gum disease, which can ultimately lead to tooth loss. This remains the primary reason for tooth loss in adults here in the U.K.

If you’re thinking about stopping smoking, we can point you in the direction of the right support. Research has shown that smokers with gum disease who quit smoking saw a significant improvement in their gum disease after one year of giving up, compared with individuals who continued to smoke.

Prevention: how to keep gum disease at bay

Keeping plaque development under control is at the heart of preventing the onset of gum disease.

Plaque is the white biofilm removed through brushing and flossing every day and during routine hygienist appointments. Plaque is populated by bacteria that thrive in your mouth, especially when there are a lot of sugars to feast on. When these bacteria are allowed to remain, a sticky buildup of plaque builds up over your teeth and begins to use the food and drink you consume to produce acids, which stick firmly to your teeth.

This is highly problematic for our teeth, as the acid breaks down the enamel and begins the chain of events that lead to decay.

Failing to routinely remove plaque each day at home and the regular consumption of high sugar food and drink leads to the hardening of plaque into tartar. Unfortunately, tartar is a harder substance that allows plaque to thrive, as it can easily adhere to the layer of tartar. This vicious cycle kicks off the onset of gum disease, which is entirely avoidable with the right routine and lifestyle habits.

When does gum disease require a deep cleaning?

When your gums become severely diseased, you may require more complex intervention to get them healthy again. A process known as root surface debridement (RSD) can be performed to reach under the gums’ surface and down to the root pocket.

Patients who need RSD will generally be experiencing symptoms such as swollen and bleeding gums, bad breath, and gum recession. The latter is characterised by gums that are beginning to pull away from teeth. RSD enables the thorough cleaning of both the tooth surface, and the root below the gum line, and it can act as a means of treatment for receding gums, which will help to reattach them to the roots and lessen the depth of the pockets between the teeth and gums. Depending on your individual needs, typical RSD treatment can take between 1 – 4 appointments.

What happens after scaling and root planning?

It’s normal to experience tooth sensitivity and tenderness after a deep clean with RSD. We recommend taking over-the-counter painkillers to control this. Post-treatment for periodontal disease, it’s essential that you visit us every 3-4 months to help control its progression. Here at one80 Dental, you can expect progress reviews with our periodontist.

We can show you how to brush correctly to avoid receding gums in the future. Over-brushing teeth is one of the main reasons receding gums occur, but changing your brush to an electric toothbrush and adopting a better technique can reduce your risk of this in the future.

State-of-the-art periodontal technology at one80

Delivering the best service for our patients includes harnessing the very best equipment available. We use the renowned EMS Air-Flow®, including Perioflow and Airflow as standard.

Thanks to the Perioflow system, we’re able to deliver minimally-invasive and effective treatment of periodontal pockets, implant surfaces and interdental spaces. As it’s non-abrasive to hard tissues, we can also use it on the tongue, gums and cheeks. It’s no exaggeration to say that this technology has revolutionised how we can treat and prevent periodontal complications.

Finding a dentist near me

If you’re looking for a reputable periodontist in Sheffield, choose one80 Dental. Don’t take our word for it – read our testimonials to learn about how we’ve helped our patients rehabilitate their oral hygiene.