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Periodontics Explained

For most people, an annual visit to the dentist is enough to keep their mouths healthy. The dentist will examine your teeth, have them cleaned and maybe fill a cavity if needed. Sometimes, though, the dentist will see something that leads him to refer you to a specialist. If the problem involves the tissue or bone that holds the teeth in place, you will most likely be referred to a periodontist.

  1. Periodontics

    • Periodontics is one of eight types of specialty dentistry. It specializes in the health of tissues that support the teeth. Periodontists study the gingera (gums), cementum (tissue covering tooth roots), periodontal ligament (tissue cushion between the tooth root and bone holding the tooth) and alveolus bone (part of jaw bone that holds the tooth root). Periodontists also replace teeth lost with dental implants.

    Periodontists

    • Periodontists are dental specialists in periodontics. They know how to treat periodontal disease, or if the disease has caused you to lose teeth, they know how to place and maintain dental implants. To become a periodontist, the doctor must first complete dental school. Following graduation, he continues his studies for an additional three years for a postdoctoral certificate in periodontics. Though periodontists are dentists, their practices are limited to periodontics.

    Periodontal Disease

    • Periodontal disease is caused by bacteria in the mouth. It is a leading cause of plaque that can coat teeth and destroy them. Other contributors to periodontal disease include food lodged in the teeth, improper brushing, improper shape and size of teeth, faulty dental restorations and treatment procedures, thumb sucking, faulty nutrition, diabetes and hypertension.

    Stages

    • The initial stage of periodontal disease is reversible. A dentist or periodontist can scale and polish your teeth, but you will need to pay attention to your oral hygiene to hold off periodontal disease. The next stage of disease would require deep scaling to reverse the decay. Advanced disease will require surgery to treat. These surgeries can be gingivectomy, flap surgery, periodontal bone grafting, guided tissue regenerations and mucogingival procedures. If the disease gets to the terminal stage, the tooth will be lost and extracted. It may also be replaced by an implant.

    Warning Signs

    • You may be developing periodontal disease is you begin showing the warning signs that include: gums that bleed when brushed, swollen, red or tender gums, long teeth, pus on the gums, loose teeth, change in tooth position, change in your bite or bad breath. If you begin to show some of these symptoms, you should visit your dentist.

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