Periodontics (Gum Treatment)
The most common disease in the human adult population is Periodontal disease also known as gum disease or pyorrhea.
The periodontium is the foundation of your teeth. Like the foundations of a house, if this foundation is undermined, then the teeth will move, collapse or simply become loose, infected and require extraction. Periodontal health is paramount because if it is not maintained nothing else that you do will be of any benefit.
Periodontal diseases take on many different forms, but are always a result of the interaction of your body reaction to a bacterial attack. Every body will react differently to the same bacteria. There is a very strong genetic link that determines the amount of destruction that occurs.
Surveys have concluded that approximately 80% of the population has some form of disease with approximately 25% having extensive disease. Periodontitis is responsible for:
- Loss of attachment to the tooth leading to loose teeth
- Bad odour in the mouth
- Recession of the gums leading to ugly “long in the tooth” look
- Frequent bleeding of the gums
- Gum abscesses and pain
Periodontitis is also working to:
- Increase the chance of heart attacks
- Increase the chance of strokes
- Increase the chance of diabetes or making diabetes uncontrollable
- Increase in gastro intestinal problems
- Increase in low birth weight babies
Of course prevention is the best form of treatment, what you do at home will ultimately be reflected in your periodontal tissues.
Laser Periodontic Treatments
At Sydney Laser Dentistry the laser is used to decontaminate the sight of periodontitis. The laser seeks out and destroys the bacteria that are causing the disease. Using the laser technology the bad infection tissues are removed with greater accuracy, ease and almost painlessly. This removal allows access and vision to the roots that are infected for thorough cleaning of tartar or calculus and the removal of the infected cementum.
With laser therapy this is more efficient because the root surfaces become readily visible, there is almost no bleeding and an observable decrease in post treatment pain and tooth sensitivity. This means that with the Sydney Laser Dentistry method of periodontal therapy , the chances are that you will have less time in the chair. Quite often, phase 1 treatment can be completed in 2 hours . From experience, this means at least a 50% decrease in the clinical time required to traditionally clean the teeth and roots to the same level.
The Laser Post Treatment Advantage
When we interviewed our patients that have experienced the traditional periodontal therapy and the laser therapy, they astounded as to the decreased discomfort of laser based therapy. The gums did not swell and throb continuously as before. They reported a vast decrease in the post treatment bleeding, and the tooth roots did not react to cold and hot stimulus to anywhere the same degree. In fact some that had given up on the periodontal therapy previously, were able to be treated and are among our happiest patients.
Improved Final Outcomes of Laser Treatment
At Sydney Laser Dentistry, we can go one step further to improve the
final outcome of periodontal treatment. By preparing the root surfaces
with laser, the water and light cleans off the micro debris on the
surface of the root allowing for a much better surface for regenerative
cells to attach to the tooth . Recent studies have found this to be very
true, further research into the enhanced outcomes of laser periodontal
therapy is now at full steam. So the value of the Sydney Laser Dentistry
technique is not only to stop the periodontal disease, but scientific
studies are showing that there is a chance to increase re-attachment
level. This result was never available prior to laser therapy as
prescribed by Sydney Laser Dentistry.
