Tartar is not only deposited on the visible parts of the teeth - if the gums separate from the teeth, tartar can also form in the areas under the gums. Lots of bacteria stick to it and they keep the gums and then the periodontium permanently inflamed.

• In gingivitis, the gums are red, may bleed and swell. It can bleed on its own when you brush your teeth. As the process worsens, so-called premature periodontitis may develop, at which point the inflammation may spread to deeper tissues.
• The main reason for gingivitis is that the patient cannot clean the boundary between tooth and gum properly:
• either because they do not brush often enough,

In periodontitis, the tissues around the teeth become inflamed. The mildest form is gingivitis which can spread and cause the tooth to fall out if left untreated. There are basically two types of periodontitis which can be caused by different things. One type is the milder, slowly developing chronic periodontal disease and the other is aggressive periodontal disease that affects many teeth and entire gums at a young age. The latter is the more severe but less common and has a strong genetic background.

Reversing gum atrophy requires perseverance and patience on the part of both the patient and the dentist. Their mutual cooperation is the key to successful treatment. It is essential that the causes of the disease are identified and that modern imaging technologies (dental X-rays or 3D CBCT scans) are used to assess the severity of the situation. This is followed by cleaning of the teeth, i.e. thorough scaling. If there is already gingival atrophy, bacteria living in the tartar have penetrated under the gums and are starting to eat away at the bony structure of the tooth so the area under the gums will also need to be cleaned.

- Depuration/ scaling: Scaling cannot be done at home. It is therefore done in the clinic using special hand instruments and ultrasonic equipment.

- Closed curette: Under local anaesthesia, the so-called periodontal pockets (gum pockets that maintain inflammation) next to the teeth are cleaned with special hand instruments.

- Open curette: one of the periodontal surgical procedures. Under local anaesthesia, after making incisions in the gums, the periodontal pockets are cleaned out with direct visual contact and the gums are reattached with stitches.

- Splinting: Fixing the moving teeth together. The purpose of this is both to aid healing (temporary splinting) and to prevent further teeth migration (permanent splinting). This also includes retention splints after orthodontic treatment to prevent the teeth from moving back after the treatment is completed.

There is usually no single cause behind this condition. Cervical sensitivity can be caused by improper teeth cleaning techniques:

- toothbrushes with too strong bristles, toothpaste containing strong abrasives

- grinding teeth at night,

- eating acidic foods and drinking acidic drinks.