What Does a Periodontist Do?
Peridontics is a dentistry division that researches the area of the mouth known as the peridontium. The peridontium includes the guns, the alveolar bone, the periodontal ligament and the alveolar bone. To put it short and sweet the peridontium is the area that surrounds the teeth.
A periodontist is a dentist that specializes in this area. A peridontist can treat gingivitis and other gum disease. Gingivitis is a gum disease that causes swelling and bleeding of the gums. Other symptoms of gingivitis are bad breath, redness and puffiness in the gums, pain when brushing or flossing. Gingivitis is caused by plaque accumulating in-between the teeth from lack of brushing and flossing. Gingivitis can occur in those with poor oral care and people who are having strong hormonal changes. Women who are pregnant and those going to puberty are more likely to get the disease because the gingival is more susceptible to bacterial infection.
Periodontists will also maintain temporary and permanent implants. If something goes wrong with an implant you will most likely see a periodontist to get it corrected. Periodontists are highly trained in this area and can better assess your situation than a general dentist. If you have a dental implant it is important that you follow your dentist's instruction on how to care for it. Gum disease can be avoided by proper care of your implant.
Additional Periodontist Abilities
Periodontists can also treat gum recession. This is done by performing a gingival graft. A gingival graft is preformed when a patient has a receding gum line. Tissue is removed from the top of the mouth and replaced in the area where the gums are receding. This is very similar to a skin graft. There is also another type of gum graft called a lateral graft. A lateral graft is best preformed on patients with little recession. It is done by raising the tissue lateral to the recession the tissue is then placed over the area of recession. Typically this can only be preformed if there is an abundance of tissue close to the recession.
A person might need to have a gum graft if they have very thin gums and there is a concern that they may wear thin enough to expose the roots of the teeth. They may also need to have a gum graft if they have had a traumatic injury to the mouth. There are times when recession is associated with orthodontic as well. This can be caused by poor oral hygiene while wearing braces or by the teeth moving too quickly.
Periodontal care is crucial to those who wear full dentures. It is important for denture wears to keep their gingival clean especially before they put their dentures in the mouth in the morning and when they take them out at night. If you wear dentures make sure that you are properly brushing and rinsing your mouth daily to prevent periodontal disease.
If you think you need to see a periodontist, but you don't know where to find one, you should start by contacting your general dentist. You general dentist can help you to determine if it is necessary for you to see a periodontist. He or she will also be able to refer you to a good periodontist in your area.
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Date Added: Thursday 5th November 2009
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