We all heard about periodontics, but what is this and how does it influence our dental health? We are here to answer all your questions so if you are curious about periodontology you should read onward!
What is periodontics?
Simply put, periodontics is a study of the system that supports our teeth and which maintains their position on the jaw. This is a specialized system that features both soft and hard tissues and with their help it manages to maintain our teeth in place. A professional in periodontology has the ability to study and also address all conditions that pertain to the teeth’s supporting structure.
Within this type of study you can also find dental implants, both their placement and maintenance. Included here you can also find peri-implantitis that appears as bone loss right near the dental implants.
Types of periodontal diseases
As you can expect, these take many forms but most of the time they will appear due to a bacterial plaque biogilm accumulation that was created by the red complex bacteria. The issue is common if people don’t maintain their teeth clean or take care of them properly, but it can also be caused by external damage as well. In addition, some of the host immuno-inflammatory mechanism will also lead to teeth destruction.
If these conditions aren’t treated properly and as fast as possible, a variety of problems will appear. These range from tooth loss to alveolar bone loss and the problems can extend even further to the point where surgery might be required to repair the bone structure.
When should you see a periodontics specialist?
Whenever you feel any pain in your mandible or the teeth structure seems to wear off is a great time to talk with a specialist. A periodontics professional will specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease and he will also place or maintain dental implants.
Most of the time the periodontics professionals need to have around 3 extra years of additional training in gum disease. They are familiar with the latest dental diagnosis and treating techniques so dentists can refer any patient to them because they can offer a much better insight into the issue at hand.
If you are wondering when you should see a periodontics specialist, the answer is simple! Any time is a good time, but there are some specific situations when you should go and treat the issue immediately. Before we delve into them though, you should keep in mind that the periodontal evaluation is the only way to detect the periodontal disease so whenever you feel there’s something wrong with the teeth structure you should act fast. So, you should see a periodontics professional when:
- You see any symptoms of periodontal disease
- You prepare for pregnancy
- You aren’t fully satisfied with the teeth placement
- You feel that the smile is gummy or teeth are too short
- You have heart disease, osteoporosis or diabetes
If you have any of these issues and want to keep your teeth safe and healthy, don’t hesitate and work with a periodontics professional right away. This is the best way to maintain your dental health and it will also allow you to prevent any major dental issues in the near future!