As a periodontist in Stellenbosch, Dr Snyman is highly experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of gum disease. Dr Snyman is truly passionate about the treatment of oral disease and the prevention of tooth loss. He goes the extra mile to provide the best possible care to patients who have gum disease.
Gum disease is caused by bacterial infection in the gums and bone that support your teeth. Gum disease leads to plaque and bacteria to grow underneath the gum. The plaque and bacteria start breaking down the attachment of the tooth to the gum and jaw bone. This results in the formation of a space between the gum and the tooth called a periodontal pocket. If left untreated, gum disease can ultimately lead to the loosening and potential loss of teeth. As a qualified Periodontist in Stellenbosch, Dr Snyman has special training in detecting and measuring the extent of the periodontal pocketing.
Gum disease may progress painlessly, producing very few obvious signs or symptoms, even in the later stages of the disease. Although the symptoms of periodontal disease can be subtle, the condition is not entirely without warning signs. Some signs and symptoms include:
Gingivitis is a form of gum disease that causes irritation, redness, swelling and bleeding of your gingiva (gums). It is important to take gingivitis seriously and treat it very promptly. If left untreated, gingivitis can lead to a more serious gum disease called periodontitis.
The most common cause of gingivitis and periodontitis is inadequate oral hygiene. Good oral habits, such as brushing and flossing regularly, and getting regular dental check-ups, can help prevent gingivitis and periodontitis.
The goal of our treatment is to thoroughly clean and disinfect the tooth surfaces. While our treatments are very effective, you still need to adopt a daily routine of good oral hygiene, manage systemic health conditions that may impact oral health and stop or minimise tobacco use for the best chance of successful treatment. The treatment of gum disease is never once-off and requires lifelong monitoring and regular maintenance sessions to prevent tooth loss.
Specific treatment options for Gum Disease include:
Non-surgical: Scaling and root planing: Scaling and root planing is a thorough cleaning of the tooth and root surfaces to remove plaque and calculus (tartar) build-up above and below the gum line.
Surgical: There are two main reasons for performing surgical treatment for gum disease, namely in cases where the non-surgical treatment proved to be inadequate for disease resolution and secondly in cases where the bone surrounding the teeth needs to be built up to save the teeth. During this procedure, we make tiny incisions into your gum and lift a section of gum tissue, exposing the roots for more effective access for root planing and scaling. Since periodontitis often causes bone loss, it may be necessary to recontour and build up the underlying bone before the gum tissue is put back in place. After healing, it will be easier to clean these areas and maintain healthy gums.
If you are experiencing swollen, painful, red or bleeding gums, contact Dr Snyman as soon as possible. He will do an assessment to determine if you have periodontal disease. Dr Snyman will provide you with a treatment plan that will restore your gums and teeth to a healthy condition.
