Who Is A Periodontist Or Gum Specialist?

Periodontist is a dentist specializing in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infections and diseases of gums surrounding the teeth and the jaw bone to which the teeth are anchored.There are well experienced in most advanced techniques necessary to treat periodontal disease and place dental implants, they also perform a vast range of cosmetic procedures to enhance smile to its full extent.In course of a regular dental check up, if the general dentist finds symptoms of gum disease, a consultation with the periodontist may be recommended.

Even the most attractive smile could have gum disease lurking beneath it. So how do you know if you may be affected?

Some early warning signs may include

1) Bleeding gums on eating or brushing, unexplained bleeding while consuming food or during he course of daily cleaning is most common sign of periodontal infection.
2) Bad breath, continued halitosis which persists even when a rigorous oral hygiene program is in place
3) Loose teeth or gum recession: longer looking teeth can signal recession of the gums and bone loss due to periodontal disease. As this disease progresses and attacks the jawbone, the teeth may become loose.
4) Related health conditions: heart disease, diabetes, osteopaths and osteoporosis are highly correlated with periodontist and periodontal infections, the bacteria infection can spread through the blood stream and affect other parts of the body.

Diagnosis And Treatment:
Before initiating any dental treatment the periodontist, extensively examines the gums, jawbone and general condition of the teeth. If gum disease or bone disease are diagnosed, the periodontist has a number of surgical and non surgical options available to treat the underlying infections.

Unseen Effects Of Tooth Loss:

The most obvious effect of missing teeth is the way you look. its not so much about teeth as it is about the bone , which needs stimulation to maintain form and density. The bone surrounds the tooth, necessary stimulation comes from the teeth themselves. When the tooth is lost, the lack of stimulation causes loss of jaw bone, its external width, height and bone density, gradually the gum tissue also decreases. Ability to chew and speak are also impaired. The more teeth lost, the more functions lost. The adjacent teeth gradually drift towards the missing spaces, causing these teeth to be more prone to cavities, gum disease and further tooth loss. Bite shifts as well compromising the beauty of your smile.

Why cant I feel the periodontal disease?

While 75% of tooth loss occur due to periodontal disease, its symptoms are not very noticeable. The dentist or the periodontist will be able to tell you if you have periodontal disease and to what stage has it progressed. In its more advanced stages, you might notice bleeding while brushing or some spaces between the teeth. Hence its always recommended that you see your local dentist once every six months.

Mouth Body Connection:

Studies have proven a definitive link between oral health and general health, in fact it has been suggested that the the closest link to your heart is through your mouth
1) Heart disease is the most common, those with gum disease may have an increased risk of a fatal heart attack, these patients are more likely to be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. This is because the high bacterial load in the mouth gets into the blood stream and can affect your health by causing clotting problems.
2) Risk of respiratory problems increases with gum disease
3) Gum disease can also affect diabetic health, if a diabetic patient doesn’t get regular cleanings, there are 3 times more likely to develop gum disease, which in turn leads to advanced gum disease which can spiral the diabetes to uncontrolled levels.
4) Preterm or low birth weight babies, women with gum disease may be more likely to give birth to under weight baby, oral bacterial can cross the placental barrier and potentially expose the fetus to infection.

Non Surgical Periodontal Therapy

During a typical checkup your dentist or dental hygienist will remove the plaque and tartar (plaque that builds up and hardens on the tooth surface and can only be removed with professional cleaning) from above and below the gum line of all teeth. If you have some signs of gum disease, your dentist may recommend professional dental cleaning more than twice-a-year. Dental cleanings are not a treatment for active gum disease. They are, though, an important preventive measure that can help you stave off its development.
The rationale of nonsurgical therapy is to remove the causative agent of periodontal disease, bacterial plaque, as well as its associated factors. Clinical studies have repeatedly confirmed scaling and root planing reduces both gum inflammation and pocket depths, leading to a gain of clinical attachment of the gum line to the tooth in most periodontal patients. Reducing infection, preserving teeth, as well as improving the health, function, and appearance of the dentition are all goals of periodontal therapy.

Surgical Periodontal Therapy:

In more advanced cases, surgical treatment maybe needed to help the gums that connect the tooth roots to the bone and even the bone reattach to the teeth. These treatments involve opening of the gum tissues by creating a flap to see within the pocket, this allows the surgeon to remove diseased tissues, fully clean the roots surface, apply grafting materials and other aids that enhance new tissue and gum growth, and suturing back the gum tissue, securing them in position while they heal.

Laser Painless Therapy

Its has been proven by many clinical trials that removing diseased tissue with laser rather than blade can be more comfortable for the patients as it is relatively bloodless and painless.
It’s a minimally invasive procedure as there are no incision required separating gum tissues and thus no stitches involved as the laser seals the wound.
But, in advanced cases the laser has to be used as an adjudicative treatment along with the traditional surgical treatment.
Laser debridement and disinfection can prevent further advancement of the gum disease.