Periodontics
Periodontal simply means “the tissue around the teeth.” Periodontists specialize in the treatment and surgery of this area, which is often characterized by gum disease. Plaque is the most common element causing gum disease.
Unfortunately, periodontal-related problems are often discovered after they have persisted for an extended period of time. Proper oral hygiene, daily dental care and regular dental checkups will minimize the risk of gum disease. Gum disease ranges from mild (gingivitis) to moderate (periodintitis) to the severe (periodontitis). Treatments are available for every case of gum disease.
Common problems associated with gum disease:
- “Long” teeth (receding gum lines expose the root portions of your teeth)
- Discolored or deteriorating tooth structure
- Gum depressions (holes in between the teeth in the gum tissue)
- Infected gum line (discoloration or inflammation of the gum tissue)
- Tooth loss or tooth movement
The effects of gum disease can be damaging to your dental health. However, through proper preventive care and oral hygiene, you can avoid problems associated with gum disease.
Periodontal disease is a stage of disease after gingivitis. It is a result of bacterial infection of the gums and bone that support teeth. Once the bacterial infection colonizes in the gum pockets between the teeth, it becomes much more difficult to remove and treat. Periodontal disease is an aggressive and progressive condition that will lead to tooth loss, destruction of jawbone, and overall health issues.
Periodontal disease is diagnosed by your dentist or dental hygienist during a periodontal examination. This examination should be part of your regular dental check-up. A periodontal probe is used to measure the pocket or space between the tooth and the gums. A healthy measurement is between 1-3 mm without any bleeding. As periodontal conditions progresses the pocket depths get deeper. Here are the most common treatment procedures for periodontal disease.
Scaling and Root Planing (deep cleaning) is performed to remove all colonized bacteria and calculus (tartar) in the pocket. The gums and pockets will then be treated with anti-bacterial agents which can be in the form or antibiotics, rinse, Arrestin (sustained releasing antibiotic), or soft-tissue laser treatment (best). It is vital to the treatment of periodontal disease to stay on a 3 month dental cleaning maintenance schedule to avoid relapse and future further destruction of the teeth’s surrounding bone and gums.Please contact our office for a periodontal evaluation.
