Periodontics / Gum Disease
Gum disease, which dentists call periodontitis, is a serious problem amongst patients of all ages, although it becomes much more prevalent in adults after the mid to late thirties. There are many different types of gum disease which have different treatment needs.
At Resolution specialist treatment centre we have a clinic that specialises in treating gum disease and we can treat resolve most gum disease cases. We work together with local general dentists who we have the greatest respect for on a professional level. Indeed many of our cases are referred directly from their own family dentist and we are very happy to coordinate care with them. By specialising only in a few key areas of dental care, including gum disease management, we are able to work alongside your general dentist who is very much the best person to talk to regarding your routine dental care.
Gum disease is a progressive condition that attacks the attachment between the gums and the teeth (the periodontal ligament). This can happen over a few months or may take years to progress. Eventually though this damage will make the teeth loose. With further progression the teeth become so unstable that they are lost. In the latter stages of the disease it is also common to get painful abcesses on the gums and a bad taste in the mouth. Although the disease is still treatable at this stage it is much easier to correct it before this when simple treatment may be all that is needed. Because dental health has improved in the UK there has been a increase in gum disease because as people do not lose teeth due to decay there is time for gum disease to become apparent and now more teeth are lost due to gum disease than any other cause.
It is also a common misconception that gum disease is either untreatable or that treatment is expensive or ineffective. Neither is true: If caught in time gum disease is extremely responsive to treatment and treatment can be simple and inexpensive. Our initial consultations are £50 including a full treatment plan and treatment costs as little as £45.
One problem with gum disease is that it has few symptoms in the early stages and tends to be spotted late on after significant damage has been done, which may then prove difficult to treat. We are very enthusiastic to encourage people with gum disease to recognize the symptoms early and arrange some treatment while it is still simple to fully correct the problem. If you have any of the following symptoms then you could have gum disease and a consultation to check this out would be a good idea:
- Bleeding from gums, especially while brushing your teeth.
- Gums that look puffy and red or ulcerated in appearance
- Bad breath or a metallic taste in your mouth
- Deposits of tartar (calculus) near to the margin of the gum
- Teeth that feel more mobile than they used to
- Teeth that have drifted from their original position
- Pain or swelling associated with the gums
If you do have any of these symptoms then don't leave things hoping it will settle; gum disease is a chronic disease and can only be cured by professional treatment. The earlier this treatment is started the easier and more cost effective it is to resolve the problem.
If you would like to arrange a consultation with us at Resolution then you can call our treatment coordinator who will be delighted to arrange one for you.
Our clinicians
Mark Brickley BDS MscD PhD MOrth RCS (Ed)
Dr Brickley is the leading clinician at Resolution. He is on the specialist orthodontic register and a member of the Royal College of Surgeons. He spent several years at Cardiff University in the periodontal department gaining expertise in surgical and non surgical periodontal care. He is widely experienced in planning complex care and has a particular interest in combined periodontal/orthodontic care.
Karen Hampson CEB Dip Dent Hygiene 1995
Karen has worked in a variety of practices in Somerset and Dorset offering routine and advanced periodontal care. In addition to full periodontal assessments, she offers a full range of non surgical treatment options with or without local anaesthetic, including topical applications and comprehensive oral hygiene advice and instruction. Karen gets her greatest satisfaction from seeing the results her patients achieve with her help and thoroughly enjoys working along side clinicians with different dental specialities.
