Periodontics
At Bethesda Family Dentistry, we offer comprehensive dental care that gives you everything you need in one location. Our general dentists work alongside a variety of dental specialists to provide our patients with convenient, consistent care. One such dental specialist is our in-house Periodontist, Dr. Jingchao (Jean) Li. Periodontal specialists, or Periodontists, are essentially gum specialists that focus on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal, or gum, disease. In order to obtain their title, they must attend three additional years of specialized training after graduating from dental school.
Did You Know that Gum disease is extremely popular. In fact, The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently concluded that as many as 64.7 million Americans over the age of 30 are affected by Periodontitis. This means that about half the American population has advanced gum disease!
Periodontics FAQ
You may need periodontal care if you're experiencing symptoms of gum disease, such as persistent bad breath, loose teeth with spaces between them, pus around your teeth, or gums that are red, swollen, receding, or bleed easily when brushing or flossing. You may also benefit from periodontal care if you have a complex medical history, a genetic predisposition for gum disease, medications that cause dry mouth, or if you are planning to get dental implants. To find out if you're a candidate for periodontal care, schedule a consultation with our periodontist, Dr. Jean, today!
The frequency of periodontal care depends on your specific needs. For most patients, basic care is provided during routine dental checkups and cleanings every six months. However, if you have gingivitis or periodontitis, you may need more frequent treatments.
- Scaling and Root Planing: A specialized cleaning to remove plaque, tartar, and bacteria from above and below the gum line.
- Gum Grafts: Replacing missing gum tissue by grafting tissue from elsewhere in your mouth.
- Dental Implants: Artificial tooth roots implanted into the gums to replace missing teeth.
- Dental Crown Lengthening: Reducing gum tissue for cosmetic purposes or to prepare for a dental crown.
- Pocket Reduction Procedures: Reducing the size of gum pockets.
- Cosmetic Periodontal Procedures: Various procedures to improve the aesthetics of the gum line.
When visiting your periodontist at Bethesda Family Dentistry, you can expect to have an oral examination of your gums and teeth. Your gum pockets, or the space between your teeth and gums, will be measured using a periodontal probe. Healthy gums have a measurement of three millimeters or less. Anything higher than three millimeters can indicate some form of gum disease. Depending on the size of your gum pockets, your periodontist may also check your teeth for signs of sensitivity, loosening, or shifting. She may also check your dental x-rays to evaluate the underlying bone tissue for signs of bone loss.
During your periodontal consultation, Dr. Jean will ask about your medical history, current medications, and family history to determine if you are at a higher risk for developing gum disease. She may also ask about your daily dental hygiene routine and techniques to ensure that you are properly removing plaque without damaging your gum tissue.
Periodontal disease, more commonly referred to as gum disease, can occur in one of two forms: gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gum tissue and is characterized by gums that are red, swollen, and bleed easily. Periodontitis, on the other hand, is an advanced form of gum disease in which the gums have become infected as a result of bacteria permeating below the gum line. While gingivitis can generally be reversed by good oral hygiene, periodontitis cannot be reversed.
Most cases of gum disease are simply caused by a lack of oral hygiene or improper brushing and flossing techniques. Gum disease occurs as the result of plaque accumulation, because the bacteria found in plaque cause an inflammatory response in the gums. However, in some cases, gum disease can be caused by other factors such as hormonal changes, certain medications, certain medical conditions, and genetic predisposition.
Dr. Jean’s treatment plan for your gum disease will depend on the type and severity of your gum disease. For gingivitis, one to two dental cleanings, as well as a modified home dental routine is generally enough to reduce the amount of plaque and reduce the inflammation.
For periodontitis, the most common treatment recommended by Dr. Jean is a special periodontal cleaning called scaling and root planing. This is a two-part procedure that removes plaque, tartar, and bacteria from above and below the gum line and then smooths out the root surface of your teeth to reduce the amount of plaque, tartar, and bacteria that are able to attach to the teeth in the future.
In advanced cases of periodontitis, additional measures may need to be taken. For example, if the gum pockets don’t decrease or show signs of improvement after scaling and root planing, then a gum graft may be required to cover exposed tooth roots and promote new gum tissue growth. If advanced periodontitis has caused bone or tooth loss, a bone graft may be required to replenish lost bone mass. If teeth have been lost, dental implants may also be needed to replace missing teeth.
