Periodontal problems in the gum region are best treated by a periodontist rather than a dentist who only has a general and often limited overview about the procedures involved. Periodontal infections are usually related to several kinds of gum diseases where bacterial attack results in the gums separating from the teeth and forming periodontal pockets. These pockets become breeding grounds for bacteria and they colonize in the gum tissue, thus increasing the rate of bone loss. You, therefore, need to see a periodontist, before the disease affects your gums and the bones supporting your tooth.
Some of the symptoms of periodontal disease include bad breath that does not go away and swelling in the gums that bleed occasionally. When these symptoms are observed, then the patient should be directly referred to the periodontist. Pockets formed between the teeth and the gums with plaque and tartar deposits are a sign of periodontal infection. This may lead to loss of teeth, if not treated early on. It is, therefore, essential to take the advice of a periodontist and make sure that a comprehensive maintenance plan is established. Patients suffering from periodontitis often do not understand the severity of their situation. This is usually happens due to the lack of pain as an indication of infection. Hence, it is advisable to visit your periodontist immediately once the symptoms described above manifest themselves.
A general dentist will refer patients to a periodontist when, after a normal oral examination, he finds that there are symptoms of early or rapidly progressing periodontal infection, like when the gums become swollen and bleed while consuming hard food or while brushing. This condition is called gingivitis, which is an early form of periodontal disease. Other variations include aggressive periodontitis and chronic periodontitis that lead to rapid bone loss. There may also be gangrene in tissues surrounding the gingiva, the periodontal ligament as well as the alveolar bone. The general dentist refers such a patient to a periodontist. Now the patient needs to undergo treatment to decrease the rate of infection and help in the curative purposes. A periodontist may prescribe a number of non-surgical and surgical procedures. Non-surgical procedures like scaling, and root planing are used to get rid of plaque and bacterial build-up from the surfaces. When the condition has deteriorated to such an extent that the tissue around the teeth cannot be restored, then there are a number of surgical techniques that are used by the periodontist. These include soft tissue grafts, where the root is covered with additional replacement tissues that were destroyed due to gum recession. There are other surgical procedures that include crown lengthening where the gum-line and the bone levels are adjusted. This is done in order to reveal more of the tooth structure, so that it becomes easier to treat. Other surgical treatments include pocket reduction and regenerative procedures that help in treating periodontal diseases.
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