Periodontics

Periodontics specialises in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of periodontal (gum) disease. Periodontal disease is damage to the structures around the teeth, which include the gums, ligaments and bone. In the earliest stage of the disease — gingivitis — only the gums are affected. In more severe forms of the disease, the damage extends to both the gums and the bone.

Over 50 % of adults in the UK have some form of gum disease and often it goes unnoticed.

Not only can it give you bad breath (halitosis) and bleeding gums but if left untreated, can lead to tooth loss and contribute to other underlying health issues.

At The Sandford, maintaining healthy teeth, mouth and gums is at the heart of what we do. Preventative dentistry is all about caring for your teeth and gums, ensuring they remain healthy, and routine inspections to check for and prevent mouth cancer.

Do you have any of the following symptoms?

Bad Breath

Bleeding Gums

Inflammation / Swelling

Gum Recession

Tartar Build Up

Loose Teeth

Effects of poor dental hygiene on the body

Patient Journey

Consultation

The severity of your gum disease will be assessed by our Specialist through detailed measurements

Treatment

The treatment will be tailored to your individual needs and carried out over several sessions to treat and stabilise the gum disease

Review

After a period of healing our Specialist will review your progress and response to treatment

Maintenance Phase

To ensure that the gum disease does not return, you will often be required to have regular hygiene visits

Often Gum Disease Is Not
Identified Until Symptoms Are Severe

Many people do not experience any symptoms until they have already started to lose some of the supportive structure around their teeth, therefore regular visits to the dentist and hygienist are very important in both the prevention and treatment of gum disease.

Some common signs of problems you should be aware of are bleeding from your gums after brushings your teeth (over a period of several weeks), bad breath, bright red or inflamed gums, soreness and loose teeth.

Two of the main causes of tooth loss are gum disease and tooth decay. At The Sandford our dental and hygiene experts work together with you, so we can treat any existing problems and help prevent them recurring in the future.

Our hygienists play a vital role in helping you keep safe against gum disease, which may include scaling and polishing them, in order to keep them free of plaque. Following any treatment, we will then put together a tailor-made maintenance plan for you to follow at home.

Stages of Periodontal Disease (Gum Disease)

Below you can see the transition from healthy gums to advanced gum disease. Red, swollen and bleeding gums are typically the first symptoms that you would notice, followed by loosening of the teeth during the advanced stages

Our Periodontal Specialists

Maria Victoria Rincon Castro

Dentist with interest in Periodontology

[GDC No. 160263]
BDS (Col) Spec perio oral med (Col) PG Cert Surgical and Prosth Imp (Lon)

Dr Victoria Rincon graduated from the School of Dentistry of Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia in 2000. She spent several years developing and enhancing her general clinical skills before deciding to pursue the specialty of Periodontology & Oral Medicine at Universidad El Bosque, Colombia. During her training she spent two months at the Forsyth Institute in Boston, USA as a volunteer student at the Microbiology Department and completed her degree in 2006. Read More

After her postgraduate training, she moved to London and successfully completed her registration process as a dental surgeon in June 2008. She worked mainly in private practice as a general dentist with an interest in Periodontology during 4 years before completing her training in Surgical and Prosthodontic Implantology at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute. She now limits her practice to periodontics and Implant Dentistry.

Tilemachos Makropoulos

Specialist Periodontist

[GDC No. 265422]
DDS (GR), MclinDent in Periodontology UCL Eastman

Dr Makropoulos graduated from the School of Dentistry of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece in 2014. He subsequently spent a year in the Greek Military (Special Forces Unit) working as a dentist. He then continued with gaining further experience in the field of general dentistry, by working one year in a private practice in Greece and then moving over to the UK where he practised general dentistry for three more years. Read More

During that time, he attended several courses and congresses to further develop his knowledge and skills in dentistry. He took a special interest in the field of Periodontology. In 2019 he was accepted on the Periodontology specialisation programme of the UCL Eastman Dental Institute, which he completed in 2022. During his further training he was exposed and treated numerous advanced and complex cases in the hospital setting (UCLH Eastman Dental Hospital). During his time at UCL he was fortunate enough to be taught by leaders in their field and he gained significant theoretical and practical knowledge and an advanced skillset towards the treatment and management of periodontal diseases, plastic aesthetic surgery cases as well as implant patients. Since 2020 he has been working in private practice limited to periodontics and gaining further mentoring by great figures of the field, in parallel with his training. In September 2022, he was awarded the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) Certificate of Completion of Specialised Training (CCST) in Periodontics and Implant Dentistry. He now limits his practise to Periodontics and Implant Dentistry.

Request a Consultation