A routine recall (check up and clean) appointment every 6 months ensures that your dental health is
maintained and any changes in your teeth and gum condition are detected.
In this blog, we’ll be focusing on the gum condition and the consequences that arise as a result of
infrequent or inadequate dental cleans.
Stick around to the end as I show you a real patient case. One of my patients has kindly allowed me
to use their images as part of this blog!
Why Are Dental Cleans So Important?
We all know that soft plaque builds up in our mouth which can be removed by brushing and flossing.
However, did you know that residual soft plaque accumulation over time becomes calcified? This
hardened build-up is called Calculus or Tartar and it sticks to the tooth surface both above and
below the gums. Unfortunately it cannot be removed by you anymore.
All plaque is essentially bacteria, and given time and the right conditions can lead to not only Dental
Decay but also Periodontal Disease or more commonly known as Gum and Bone Disease.
You may have heard your dentist tell you that you have Gingivitis or gum inflammation. Luckily at
this stage the gum condition can be reversed back to healthy state.
Periodontal disease, on the other hand, is irreversible damage to the bone and surrounding tissue.
There is no cure for it but it can be maintained. If not attended to early, the teeth can loosen and in
severe cases can become painful or eventually fall out.
Because of its ‘silent’ nature, it can sadly be left undiagnosed and you may not even be aware that
you have gum disease until it is already in the advanced stages. Here at Ipswich Dental Care we work
hard to check your gum health thoroughly in the form of a visual examination with a Periodontal
Probe and also by taking x-rays.
“Is that why you need to probe my gums?”
Yes! We use a probe which is basically a ruler that
measures from 0 to 10mm. What we want to know is if there are any deep pockets present (4mm or
more) as this usually alerts us that there may be some underlying gum disease present.
If you want to know more about Gum Disease, check out our other blog here https://ipdentalcare.com.au/blog/gum-disease/
But for now, I wanted to give you an example of the difference a thorough clean can make.
This patient of mine hadn’t had a clean for over 10 years. Patient had no symptoms and there was a
significant amount of calculus build up.
The two images on the left show the calculus build up above the gums and the images on the right are the
x-rays we took before the clean. You can see all the red circled areas that are the calculus spicules
beneath the gums.
For most of our gum disease patients we would do a course of deep cleaning under local anaesthesia
over a few a visits. So this is exactly what we did for this patient.
And here are the x-rays taken after the deep cleaning – what a difference! This patient is now ready for
routine maintenance every 3-6months.
So, how long ago was your dental visit? If it has been more than 6 months since your last visit then
it’s time to see us! We’re here to look after you and your family.
Take care and keep up with the brushing and flossing!
– Helen (Oral Health Therapist)
