Sometimes your dentist might refer you to a specialized dental care provider. Today we are explaining why your dentist might be referring you to one of these other dental care professionals: the periodontist.
The periodontist’s specialty:
An periodontist is a dental care professional who specializes in periodontal (gum) disease, dental implant placement, and oral inflammation. Gum disease can cause teeth to loosen or fall out. A periodontist specializes in treating gum disease in an effort to prevent this from happening. They also are able to provide tooth stabilization or implants for patients who need this treatment due to gum disease.
Dental evaluation:
During a routine dental exam, your dentist will evaluate the health of your gums. She will make note of any swollen areas, gum bleeding, gingivitis (an earlier form of gum disease), and or periodontitis (a more progressed and severe form of gum disease). If the patient’s gum issues are mild enough, your dentist will provide treatment plan and will help you monitor the progression or improvement of the health of your gums. When your dentist feels unable to adequately treat gum disease in a patient, she will refer you to a specialist called a periodontist who has specific training and knowledge in the treatment of periodontal (gum) disease.
Follow-up care:
If you need to see a periodontist, your dentist and periodontist will work together to implement and monitor your treatment plan. The goal is to help you have the healthiest mouth possible, which sometimes means seeking out specialist oral care in addition to your routine dental visits. Due to the need of extra monitoring, your dentist is also likely to recommend that you have your recare visits every 3 months instead of every 6.
