Periodontal Disease: The Causes, Symptoms & Modified Bass Technique

Toothache is killing many of us. There can be numerous dental issues in one’s life, namely, Tooth decay, periodontal disease, periodontitis, gum bleeding, wisdom teeth, gingivitis, etc. In this article, Cigna Smart Health introduces one of the most painful dental illness - periodontal diseases by explaining its causes, treatment, prevention tips and the Modified Bass Tooth Brushing Technique. Let’s reclaim our healthy and white teeth together!

Understand the Tooth Structure

The average size of a human tooth is around 1.9-2.3 cm. The crown and gum, which you can see from the mirror, are only the upper part of the tooth structure. The reason why teeth can stand firmly depends on the support of the tissues around the teeth, including the gums, periodontal ligament and alveolar bone etc.

What is Periodontal Disease and How Do I Know I Have It？

When the periodontal tissues are infected by bacteria, Plaque forms on your teeth and accumulates, leading to periodontal disease. According to the degree of infection, periodontal disease can be divided into three stages.

Symptoms of Periodontal Disease by Stages

The levels of gingival and alveolar bone recession indicate the severity of the periodontal disease. Different stages of periodontal disease have varying symptoms, as shown below.

Sources: Healthline, iHealth

High-Risk Groups of Periodontal Disease

According to Dr. Tse Dat Chu (Specialist in Periodontology) from HKSH, poor oral hygiene is a major cause of periodontal disease.

Factors, such as genetics and family history of serious periodontal disease, also raise periodontal disease risk. Individuals with such traits and family history are more prone to the disease even though they maintain a good level of oral hygiene.

Other risk factors of periodontal disease include:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Smoking

Treatments of Periodontal Disease

Having a high level of oral hygiene to lower the bacterial growth in the mouth can help mild cases recover and self-heal from periodontal disease. Below are some simple tips to protect your teeth.

• Brush your teeth and floss every morning and night
• Brush your teeth after every meal, ideally
• Pay a visit to your dentist and receive oral examinations regularly
• Scale your teeth once or twice a year to remove plaque and tartars
• Quit smoking

If your condition worsens, you may need to receive local anesthesia and further treatments, such as periodontal surgery and alveolar bone regeneration therapy. If your gum is clean without any inflammation, your condition can be considered as stable. You are then advised to have a regular follow-up consultation with your dentist to keep your condition on track.

The following are the fees for treating periodontal disease regarding the charges of some local dental clinics.

The Prince Philip Dental Hospital

Institute for Advanced Dentistry Multi-Specialty Clinic of HKU Dentistry

*Prices as of 10 Apr 2021

Tooth Brushing with The Modified Bass Technique

Even though you brush your teeth every day, do you master the brushing technique? Let’s have a look at The Modified Bass Technique below and clean your teeth thoroughly every day and night!

1. Step 1: Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gum line (between your teeth and gum)
2. Step 2: Move your toothbrush back and forth with short strokes (around 0.5cm) across two teeth at a time. Repeat this motion 8 to 10 times for every tooth.
3. Step 3: Brush your teeth with a gentle circular motion 5 to 6 times to clean the tooth edge and gum.
4. Step 4: Maintain a 45-degree angle to brush the inner side of your teeth. When cleaning your front teeth’ inner side, you may need to hold your toothbrush in a vertical position.
5. Step 5: Scrub on the biting surfaces of the teeth gently.

Please take notes that tooth brushing cannot clean the interdental spaces. Therefore, it is necessary to use dental floss to clean the gaps after brushing your teeth every day.

Which Toothpaste Can Prevent Periodontal Disease?

The Tooth Club of the Department of Health suggests using toothpaste that contains fluoride to brush your teeth since it has been shown to prevent tooth decay for more than 100 years effectively.

Toothpaste with triclosan and zinc citrate can stop the accumulation of dental plaque and therefore prevent periodontal disease. Pyrophosphate and zinc citrate containing toothpaste can lower the rate of tartar formation.

Can Mouthwash Replace Tooth Brushing?

Mouthwash cannot replace brushing your teeth or flossing in terms of oral hygiene since it cannot effectively remove plaque accumulated on your teeth. In order for mouthwash to do your mouth any good, you should choose an oral rinse containing sodium fluoride and use it correctly.

If the concentration of the mouthwash is around 0.05%, you could rinse your mouth with it once a day. However, if it is too concentrated (around 0.2%), you should rather use it once a week.

Maintaining lifelong oral health requires daily effort. But you will thank yourself for not giving up when you still have a good set of teeth and good (oral) health at a later stage in life!

Are you looking for a medical insurance plan with dental coverage? Cigna DIY Health Plan enables you to freely choose from various protection benefits to customise your plan to your individual needs, including dental coverage, regular oral check-up, treatment cost and emergency. Tailor your health coverage now.

Sources:

1. 明報健康網 - 牙周病分4期 嚴重或致牙齒脫落 及早治療、注意口腔衛生 有望逆轉病情
2. 牙周病8大常見症狀，牙醫師建議的刷牙方式與治療介紹| iHealth
3. Periodontitis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
4. 成人口腔護理區- 護齒秘訣- 使用氟化物- 氟化物的來源