What are "Periodontists"?

Dental professionals in the field of periodontology are called periodontists.

We know, it’s such a, shall we say, mouthful.

Pronounced “peh-ree-oh-don-tist”, it is a portmanteau of the words ‘perio’ and ‘dentist’. Perio comes from the Latin term peri, which means surrounding. Tellingly, a periodontist focuses on the oral structure around the mouth, including the gums, teeth, and bones.

So how does a periodontist’s work differ from a regular dentist’s?

A regular dentist would be able to tackle mild periodontal issues on top of general oral health care but he would likely recommend you to pay a visit to a periodontist if you suffer from severe periodontal disease. A periodontists specialises in preventing, diagnosing, and treating advanced gum diseases and oral inflammation.

When should you visit a periodontist?

If you have one or more of these symptoms, it would be advisable to see a dental professional:

• Red, swollen, or bleeding gums
• Bleeding or pain while brushing, flossing, or eating food
• Gums that are out of position
• Persistent bad breath even with healthy oral care
• Loose teeth
• A change in the fit of dentures

Prevention is always better than cure and if left untreated, such symptoms may progress and develop to more serious stages of periodontal disease, such as periodontitis.

Gingivitis and periodontitis are major causes of tooth loss in adults.

How can you tell the difference between gingivitis and periodontitis?

Gingivitis is caused by plaque buildup on your teeth resulting in swollen gums. When comparing the two, periodontitis is an advanced condition from gingivitis and at the periodontitis stage, the gums can pull away from the tooth and there is breakdown of bone which results in tooth loss.

Periodontitis is always preceded by gingivitis but not all gingivitis leads to periodontitis.

So how do periodontists fix or prevent these from happening?

Thankfully, multiple procedures exist and the options can be surgical or non-surgical.

Surgical treatments

• Soft tissue grafts
  Treatment done by removing a tiny piece of your mouth’s tissue to attach to the exposed root.
• Pocket reduction surgery
  The pockets here are referred to as the tiny spaces between gums and teeth, where the plaque accumulates and leads to periodontal disease. The treatment is to remove the plaque and reduce the size of the packets through surgery.
• Crown lengthening
  A common type of surgical treatment that removes infected tissue to reshape the gums.
• Bone grafting
  For severe cases where the bone around the teeth root is infected and damaged by plaque. The graft is made from small parts of your bone or a synthetic bone to prevent tooth loss and promote bone regrowth.

Non-surgical treatments

• Scaling and root planing
  A common type of non-surgical treatment to deal with periodontal issues. The procedure involves deep cleaning of teeth and gums to remove plaque and tartar. Infected teeth are removed in the process.
• Antibiotics
  Treatment for minor periodontal issues. It helps to prevent infection from spreading to other parts of the body.
• Bite guard
  A device for patients who subconsciously clench or grind their teeth. The device is worn at night while sleeping to prevent clenching or teeth grinding from damaging the gums.

Regular dental cleaning at your dentist can help with preventing inflammation of the gums, whereas early diagnosis helps in noticing the periodontal issues and solves them before they get out of hand.

If you need assistance in finding an orthodontist, our dental locator site is available on: https://www.toothcare2u.com/dentist_locator/

DISCLAIMER:
The information above should be used as a reference only. Any medical decision should not be taken before consulting a health care professional.
The masculine gender may have been more used in the article, but without prejudice, to make reading easier.
*dependant on teeth condition