A periodontist is one of the few dental specialists who deal with issues related to gums and jaw bone surgery.
Periodontists are more effective than their general dentist counterparts in terms of ensuring that the patient gets not just treatment during a check-up but also prevention for any potential problems that could arise as a result of gum disease or injury.
Active periodontal therapy usually costs between $1000 and $3000 without insurance. They offer professional cleaning based on your situation and dental issues.
A periodontist is a specialist in the treatment of gum tissue problems. They provide services more intensive than that of a general dentist. Along with the standard deep cleaning, these specialists also perform deep gum cleaning as well as tooth root planing and deep scaling to ensure good oral hygiene. In addition, they can successfully treat gum infection by doing surgeries such as open flap debridement and gingivectomies.
In some cases, however, even if the tooth is not lost to advanced periodontal disease, it might need to be extracted due to its location or because it is poorly formed or decayed beyond repair. A periodontist can do a simple extraction without any hassle but in complex cases where there are multiple problems going on at the same time, it is not uncommon for a patient to seek out initial consultation from an oral surgeon, especially if teeth may need to be replaced with dentures.Periodontal treatment is worth it if you want to maintain your teeth for as long as possible. However, even though most patients never complain about the cost of periodontal care, there are those who would rather skip certain gum disease treatments or go for a cheaper alternative because they feel that the price they are paying per visit is too high. You should not allow dental costs to deter you from getting timely dental treatment.
Periodontal care is not as prioritised as other dental treatments such as those needed to fix a toothache or treat a cavity. In most cases, insurance companies also limit coverage for periodontal procedures and charge higher co-payments, deductibles and co-insurance dental fees for dental surgery compared to those for regular checkups. If you want to know if your treatment plan includes dental costs that cover periodontists, then you should first look into the allowable amounts of reimbursement relative to the cost of treatment after factoring in any other necessary expenses such as health funds and other charges from specialists who will oversee the procedure.
Before scheduling an appointment with a specialist who deals with things related to healthy gums and bones, you should first talk with your general dentist about any procedures that have been done in the past. This helps prevent situations where extensive periodontal surgery will be required but because no one has ever performed an initial examination on you, there is no other option but to refer you elsewhere for treatment. If this happens, then chances are that by the time you finally get treated it could be too late and only a partial solution may be possible.
A periodontist can also perform some general anaesthetic procedures like scaling and root planning but most often will refer you to an oral surgeon if he or she feels that you require more specialised care due to extensive damage in the gum pockets that are beyond their capacity to fix in the dental clinics.
A lot of the damage caused by gum disease is reversible. That means as long as you seek treatment as early as possible, then there is a good chance that your soft tissue grafts will be restored to their original condition and function, either with a guided tissue regeneration procedure or regular visits depending on how bad things are at present.
Since periodontal disease has been identified as the leading cause of tooth loss by many dental schools, it is best to make sure that you do not wait for signs to show up but instead work towards treating gum disease in its early stage. The following are some of the common signs in periodontal charting which indicate that you need dental work from a professional who has been trained in diagnosing and offering non-surgical treatment.
Swollen or bleeding gums
Teeth that are loose, sensitive or moving around due to bone loss
Persistent bad breath even after brushing your teeth twice per day to remove plaque
Loose teeth which require constant biting pressure to stay solid
Pus oozing out of the gum infected area
Frequent pain in the mouth or around certain teeth
A change in tooth colour (it could go from light to dark)
Receeding gums
Discomfort when eating very cold food
Uneven gum line which is either too high or too low relative to where your teeth end
Any oral problems that do not improve even if they are treated by a dentist on a regular basis over several months
If you are suffering from gingivitis, then the best way to start dealing with this condition is by making sure that your daily oral care routine has improved and you visit the dentist regularly. It doesn't matter if you only brush your teeth once per day since it will still be enough to remove a lot of bacteria that cause this particular kind of gum disease. However, when it comes to fully treating and reversing the damage caused by chronic periodontal disease or adult periodontitis shown by a CT scan, then things become a little more complicated. You will need to make sure that you are following the right diet for your condition, trying out natural remedies and making lifestyle changes that will increase your chances of getting rid of periodontal disease in just a few short months and restoring a healthy smile.
For more information on dentistry, take a look at the Better Health website.