First Visit to a Periodontist
Most general practicing dentists have a good relationship with a periodontist newark ohio in your community. If you have a first visit scheduled to see a periodontist that should mean that your regular dentist is handing over the care for a particular procedure to someone trained in that area. There are ten specialties in dentistry. A periodontist specializes in the system of hard and soft tissues that support your teeth. This means the complex network of periodontal ligaments that hold the teeth in place and the soft tissue of the gums. The gums act as a shock absorber during your biting and chewing to prevent damage when there is occasional excessive force. A periodontist finishes four years of dental school and then focuses on this area for yet another three years. Three primary procedures that the periodontist has been trained in is dealing with gum disease, crown lengthening and dental implants.
What to Expect if your First Visit has been referred for Gum Disease
Periodontal disease, or gum disease, is a very progressive, painless infection. Almost half of the American adults over the age of 30 have some form of gum disease. The disease has two identifiable stages that the periodontist must treat. How does it even happen? Well, it happens because our society is always rushing and something that many of us are not fond of doing is brushing our teeth. The health industry strongly suggests we brush for two minutes twice a daily and then floss at least once. This is all you need to do to prevent gum disease. If and when you don’t brush a sticky substance immediately adheres to the tooth called plaque. The plaque will carry millions of bacteria that attack the enamel of the tooth which results in cavities. As it moved down the tooth and comes in contact with the soft tissue of the gums it will cause an immediate infection. This very first stage of disease is called gingivitis. The gums are inflamed, swollen, and turn a darker red in color. You will also have bad breath. If your general dentist confirms gingivitis and refers you to a periodontist this is what your visit will entail.
Even though it has been a referral the periodontist will want to establish their own oral health history. They might ask more specific questions than your family dentist. New, current x-rays will need to be captured to see if there is damage below the surface. They might be looking for bone loss, loose teeth, your bite changing and even oral cancer screening. Upon determining and confirming the stage of the disease and the necessary remedies the first thing they will perform is a very thorough cleaning of your teeth. The periodontist takes the cleaning further than your family dentist. At times it might involve a local anesthetic as they deep clean, or scale, the teeth under the gum line to remove that damaging plaque. Again, depending on the advancement of the disease, it might necessitate the addition of root planning, traveling further down the tooth to remove all the plaque. Once this is completed an antibiotic will be prescribed and within several days you will begin to see the improvement and the reversal of the disease.
If your gum disease has advanced to the second level it is now called periodontitis. The signs now include your gums bleeding and they will be tender to the touch. You will also notice that the swollen gums sag away from the tooth. This creates a pocket which only makes it easier for food particles to collect in the pocket accelerating the disease. The procedures performed for gingivitis are repeated and intensified in their approach. Scaling and root planning are essential and more intense. There may be some minor surgery involved as well at this point. At this stage you may have loose teeth. After the plaque is removed you could be fit with a mouth guard to protect the loose teeth and allow everything to subside and heal in the absence of the infection. The recovery time will be longer, gaps will recede, and you can expect another visit or two to monitor your progress. Anyone in the field of dentistry sets their primary objective to keep natural teeth. A periodontist will do the same.
What to Expect if your First Visit is regarding Crown Lengthening
This procedure is of a totally different nature than dealing with the health complications of gum disease. Crown lengthening is a cosmetic procedure. If you look in the mirror and the proportions are off when you smile in which you see more gum than teeth you have what the industry calls a gummy smile. It can make you self-conscious of smiling and can actually affect both your personal and professional interactions. This is easily corrected by a periodontist to get the proportions back in balance.
This procedure is called crown lengthening. The part of your tooth that is visible is called the crown. And there is crown available under that soft tissue. A periodontist will administer a local anesthetic to numb the gums. Then, with either a surgical scalpel or with a laser, the proper amount of soft tissue will simply be removed exposing more of the tooth. In a short few days the gums will heal, and you will have a new, balanced smile.
What to expect if your First Visit is related to a Dental Implant
Periodontists are also trained to surgically place a dental implant. If you have lost a tooth it is strongly suggested that the gap be filled, or the neighboring teeth will shift into that space and disrupt your bite pattern. Growing in popularity is the dental implant procedure due to the many healthy benefits.
The procedure begins with the periodontist placing a titanium post into your jawbone. Once this post has fused to the bone an extension, or abutment, is placed on the post. Then an artificial crown, fabricated at a dental lab of either porcelain or ceramic, will be affixed to the abutment. It is hard to discern the difference from the natural teeth around the implant and the post serves as a root promoting good bone health.
Periodontal Expectations including Establishing Good Oral Hygiene Habits
After you have addressed your periodontal situation and the periodontist is comfortable with your recovery you will return to your general dentist. The results of your periodontal work will be shared with your family dentist, so everyone is on the same page moving forward.
Which takes us to your role in creating good oral hygiene habits. A staggering statistic is the fact that at any time during the day each of us can have millions of bacteria in our mouth. 100 to 200 different species. That is the nature of our existence. You need bacteria in your gut to digest the foods you take in to get the nutritional values for your body to survive. The entry portal is your mouth. Your general dentist will hand you a new tooth brush and instruct you as to how to and when to brush. Possibly since you have had your periodontal experience it will be easier to establish good hygiene to avoid going through those procedures again. You will also want to entertain the idea of scheduling a visit with your dentist twice a year. Through evaluations and x-rays this allows them to continue to build a history of your oral health. You will also receive a good professional cleaning at these visits to remove unwanted plaque. Enjoy that smile and protect your investment.
More information on Periodontists : Frequently Asked Questions about Periodontists