Whats your BPE?

I'd like to share a tale that might help save a lot of grief in the future. Its about periodontal (gum) disease. One of my personal nightmares (like the one about falling) is my teeth falling out - and I don't think I'm alone.

A guy came to see me for the first time recently. When we sat down to talk he explained that his gums had been bleeding for years, he had a bad taste in his mouth and he wasn't so sure about his breath. He'd been going to his last dentist regularly every six months. At his recent last visit he was told everything was fine.

Lets just stop there:

• Blood coming from anywhere in a body would worry most people
• Bad taste and dodgy breath - so that's acceptable?

So , we moved on to the examination, did all the usual stuff that dentists do, including the thing I want to highlight: the BPE.

BPE stands for Basic Periodontal Examination. Its a quick screen, a sorting of the wheat from the chaff. The dentist takes a small measuring device, rather like a pointy stick with a ball on the end. By gently (honest) poking the gums we can very quickly see what state a clients gums are in and if gum disease is present. Its not new - its been around since I was at dental school in the 80's at least, and it should be carried out on every adult patient (with teeth!) at least once a year. To be safe I just do it every time. Scores go from zero (=perfect) up through 1,2,3,4, to "star" (=seriously bad news).

Needless to say, this guy had problems. He had a couple of areas where there were stars and the rest were threes. A scanning X ray quickly showed that more than 50% of the bone that once attached his teeth to his head had gone.

I had to tell him that he was likely to lose some of his teeth in the medium to long term, and we have started a program of gum care to try and rescue the rest. After my hygiene team have stabilised his disease they will be seeing him for checks and catch up treatment every three months, possibly for life.

So whats the moral in the tale?

• If the last dentist had performed BPE's he would have picked up the problem years ago.
• Its possible that there might have been a lot more bone still present if the disease had been picked up sooner.
• And the patient might have had a much better chence of keeping all of his teeth

My advice to you?

• Every dentist knows about the BPE and they know that they should use it.
• "But this is NHS" is not an excuse - NHS regulations state that the dentist should check the gums at every examination - and the best way of doing it is with the BPE.
• If the pointy stick isn't being used at your examinations - ask the dentist what your BPE is.
• Don't accept bleeding gums as normal - its a clear sign of disease.
• If you don't get a straight answer - get a second opinion.

The picture attached neatly sums it up - a great ad used a while ago by a mouthrinse manufacturer.

Doing Hygiene The Right Way

Would you like to retire from having fillings?

Would you like to be confident that you will keep your teeth for life?

If the answer is yes, read on.

I’m sure that you would accept that prevention is always better than a cure, and at York Place we are seeing improved oral health in those patients who are seeing our hygiene team at the right intervals.

I’ve been a dentist for over 20 years, and whilst I delight in fixing your root canals and painlessly removing teeth that have seen better days, my biggest buzz is seeing the smile on my patients faces when I say “nothing do do”.

We are the only practice in Carlisle that allow our hygienists the time and freedom with you both to clean your mouth and to mentor you in excellent mouth care. We call this Doing It Properly. The old quick 15 second whizz around the mouth by a dentist sounds appealing but is usually pointless and of no benefit.

Beware practices that advertise cheaper prices - for shorter time slots. It is always true that you get what you pay for. Our unique Membership plan makes all of this affordable, as well as giving you access to our unique Dental Health Assessments.

The benefit to you?

Confidence that you are more likely to keep your teeth for life.

Confidence that you have a fantastic smile and fresh breath

If you would like to know more

Give us a ring on 01228 533431 or go to our website at www.yorkplacedental.com

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