Many Poway patients wait for an emergency situation or until they are in severe pain before considering seeing a dental professional. While it’s obvious that a missing or infected tooth requires immediate treatment, some conditions treated by a periodontist are often unrecognized.
Here are five telltale signs that you need to see a periodontist:
- Brushing and flossing causes pain or bleeding. Your gums protect your teeth and become swollen if bacteria get past them. This can cause your gums to swell, bleed, or redden because of inflammation.
- There is a space (pocket) formed between your teeth and gums. When untreated, pockets can grow larger and lead to tooth sensitivity, bone loss, and eventually tooth loss.
- Change in your bite/alignment. Our natural bite allows our top and bottom teeth to fit together. A change in your bite is often the first sign that your teeth may be loosening and need treatment to prevent tooth loss.
- Bad taste in your mouth. We all have bacteria in our mouth, but when it’s accumulated on your teeth forming visible plaque and tartar, it can cause bad breath and a sour taste to remain, even after brushing.
- Family members with periodontal disease or missing teeth. Like many medical conditions, the condition of your teeth is inherited. If your blood relatives suffer from gum disease, then you are more likely to develop these problems without the help of a dental professional.
Why Should I See a Periodontist?
A periodontist has an additional three years of training beyond dental school concentrating on the biology of the gum and bone around your teeth, as well as the myriad of diseases and medical conditions that can affect the health of your teeth and gums, and those that can be affected by poor oral health. As the only true specialists in the gum and bone supporting your teeth, they also specialize in complex surgical procedures that involve these structures. Furthermore, gum disease is a progressive chronic disease that damages the gum and bone around your teeth, and a periodontist is the dental professional who can develop a comprehensive long-term plan to preserve your teeth.
For Poway patients who have advanced gum disease, a periodontist offers treatment options to restore:
- Teeth
- Gum tissue
- Bone
If you think you are experiencing the signs of gum disease, contact our San Diego office at (858) 635-6700.
