What Is Periodontal Disease And How Can It Affect Dental Implants?
It’s understandable that you might be under the impression that once you replace missing or decaying teeth with dental implants in Richmond you no longer have to worry about the perils of periodontal disease. Well you don’t. Instead you should be safeguarding against peri-implantitis. The fact is however that both periodontal disease and peri-implantitis are very closely linked and both are triggered by bacteria that live naturally in the mouth. So what exactly are they and how do they affect teeth and/or dental implants?
Under normal circumstances periodontal bacteria live happily in the mouth and are kept under control with good basic oral care. However when the bacteria starts to build up, this is when problems can occur. Just like natural teeth, dental implants are also prone to a build-up of plaque which can sit at the bottom of the tooth at the gum line. In the beginning the plaque is relatively soft and can easily be removed by careful brushing but if it’s allowed to linger it hardens into something called calculus (otherwise known as tartar). When calculus forms it becomes impossible to remove by normal brushing alone and instead will warrant a trip to the dentist/hygienist who uses specialised tools to remove the tartar from the base of the tooth.
What happens if the calculus is left?
With a dental implant tartar can sit on the base of the tooth and over time can erode the gum which supports the implant root. This can make the implant unstable causing it to become loose. As with many other forms of implant problems peri-implantitis isn’t always noticeable to the untrained eye, especially in the early stages and what’s more it isn’t normally painful either. Altogether this makes it very hard to spot.
What happens in this case?
In very advanced cases of periodontal disease or peri-implantitis where the implant or tooth becomes loose, it’s often removed (if it hasn’t already fallen out), the area cleaned so that it’s free from bacteria, and a new dental implant placed. In some cases however the disease might have caused the bone to shrink which in turn may mean a bone graft so that the new implant has sufficient bone mass in which to attach to.
If you’d like to find out more about how to look after your dental implants in Richmond, or indeed any other information about how implants can help restore your smile then visit our website at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk. Alternatively why not book yourself a free no-obligation consultation with Dr Harmit Kalsi and the team on 020 8876 5277 today and take the first steps towards a brighter healthier smile.