What Is A Periodontist?
Upper periodontal X-rays revealing periodontal disease of the gum and bone.
When you have your check up with your dentist they will measure your gums using a device called a probe and it is used to measure, in millimeters, the tissue pockets around your teeth for loss of attachment and bone loss. If the probing depths are too deep to keep clean or if the dentist determines that your gums or bone levela are in jeopardy, they will refer you to a periodontist.
A periodontist is one of the nine specialties recognized by the General Dental Council. From the Greek word “peri” meaning “around” and odons signifying “tooth,” a periodontist deals with the gums and supporting structures around your teeth. A periodontist can be seen in conjunction with your regular dentist for the treatment and maintenance of gum disease.
A periodontist has many treatment options to restore gum disease to health. Typically, the initial treatment may include a non-surgical method of scaling and root planning. Plaque , tartar, rough cementum and diseased tissue is removed from the surrounding tooth and root surface. This method is called NSPT (Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy) in which the bacterial viruses are eradicated to promote healthy re-growth.
If the disease is in an advanced stage, periodontal surgery can be employed. Some commonly prescribed surgeries include: pocket reduction (also known as gingival flap surgery), regeneration, crown lengthening, bone graft or soft tissue graft. In these procedures your periodontist will either fold back your gums to remove infection-causing bacteria, eliminate an overgrowth of gum tissue, replace lost bone or cut off tissue from elsewhere in your mouth and attach it to your gumline. Periodontists are also skilled at placing and maintaining dental implants.
Gum disease is a harmful infection that affects a staggering 80% of people in some form or another. Furthermore, gum disease is best addressed as early as possible. Talk to your dental professional if you have any questions about your oral health.
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Our resident Periodontist is Zainab Malaki. Please contact the surgery for a consulation........
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