When a person smiles, the most eye-catching is the teeth. The most important ingredient of an eye-catching smile is shiny, white teeth.

When we look at ourselves in the mirror, the visible part of the tooth is the crown. The rest of the tooth is hidden below the gum line and is called the root. This is covered by the gums. Healthy gums are pink in color, firm with well defined and pointed tips. Teeth fit into the jawbone and their roots are surrounded by gums and supporting bone.

Proper oral hygiene in the form of everyday brushing and flossing is necessary to maintain good health of the teeth. If proper oral hygiene is not maintained, bacterial plaque builds up. If plaque is not removed by brushing, it hardens to form calculus or tartar. Tartar binds firmly to the teeth and can be removed only by a dentist. Bacteria from this can affect other parts of the teeth and tissues.

Gum disease is commonly referred to as periodontal disease or pyorrhea. It is the disease that affects the gums and other supporting structures of the teeth. This is caused by bacteria in the tartar. The most common diseases of the gum are gingivitis and periodontitis.

Gingivitis is the early stage of gum disease. It is characterized by a mild inflammation of the gums caused by plaque buildup. If gingivitis is left untreated, the plaque build up spreads below the gum line and causes an infection of supporting bone and gum tissues. The tartar causes the gum to swell and separate from the tooth forming a pocket between the teeth and the bones. The underlying bone also deteriorates.

In advanced periodontitis, the infection mounts as the calculus builds up, the gums recede further and swell more. Pus may develop; teeth may loosen and even eventually fall out.Gum diseases can be detected by mere visual inspection and X-rays.

In the early stages, Gum treatment involves scaling the teeth. In this procedure, the teeth are cleaned using an ultrasonic scaler and the plaque and tartar is removed.

As the disease progresses, the calculus accumulates under the gum. This becomes impossible to clean without surgery. In this Gum treatment , the gums are opened; parts of the tooth which are under the gums are cleaned. The infective material is removed. If there is excess bone loss, an artificial bone supplement is used to regenerate some of the lost bone and increase support to the teeth