If you’ve ever been referred to a periodontist, chances are that your gums are in need of some specialized care. Periodontists concentrate on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of severe gum problems.
When your gums are inflamed, it can disrupt the tissue and bone that anchors your teeth in place, and a periodontist can treat that oral inflammation. Periodontists receive 3 years of extensive training beyond dental school. They know the latest techniques for diagnosing and treating periodontal disease.
Periodontists can:
• Manage treatment for people with difficult periodontal cases, such as severe gum disease or other health problems that can complicate treatment.
• Perform scaling, which is a special cleaning treatment for oral inflammation.
• Use surgical procedures to treat severe gum problems.
• Place and repair dental implants.
Your First Visit to the Periodontist
A periodontist will check to see if your gums are receding from your teeth and how your teeth fit together when you bite down. They also use a small measuring instrument, called a probe, to find out if you have pockets. Pockets are small spaces between the teeth and gums, which can become infected. X-rays may also be taken to the periodontist can see if the bone below your gum line is healthy.
Although a visit to the periodontist means you might have gum issues, you are being referred to a specialist with experience treating cases like yours. Do you have any questions about periodontists? Leave them in the comments!