What Is A Periodontist And Signs You Should See One?

Dentist tools and mouth open with beautiful teeth

one of the many branches of dentistry is periodontics. Here are some signs that clearly indicate that you need to visit a periodontist immediately. Dentistry is a wide field that encompasses several different branches such as orthodontics, endodontics, prosthodontics, pediatrics, oral and maxillofacial, oral pathology, and periodontics. Four years of dental school qualifies an individual to practice general dentistry. For specialization, a general dentist has to undergo additional years of education and training.

Like all other dental specializations, a periodontist must undergo special training and education in the field. These individuals have the expertise and experience in treating gum-related problems and diseases. They not only have the expertise to diagnose periodontal diseases, but they have the knowledge and experience to treat these diseases

Periodontists provide treatment to patients that are in need of high-quality care due to severe gum diseases or complicated medical history. A general dentist may advise a patient to visit a periodontist when they need treatments such as scaling, root planing, or root surface debridement. Here are some signs that indicate that you need to see a periodontist right away! If you experience any of the following signs, you need to visit a periodontist immediately!

Swollen and Bleeding Gums

The most obvious signs that your gums are in bad shape is that they begin to swell, bleed, and appear red. When your gums bleed when you brush your teeth or floss, it is an indication that your gums need treatment. By visiting a periodontist, you can address a severe gum problem way before it gets serious.

Swollen and Bleeding Gums

Pain and Discomfort while Chewing

Pain and discomfort in your teeth are traceable. You can point to the exact the tooth that is causing the pain. However, if you experience pain while chewing within, around, or underneath your gums, you need to visit a periodontist.

Chronic Bad Breath

Changes in Bites

Experience any changes in your bites? If your teeth begin to feel different while chewing, brushing, or talking, it is a sign that you are falling victim to a periodontal problem. Leaving this unaddressed for long can turn the minor issues into serious and long-term periodontal problems.

Chronic Bad Breath

Persistent bad breath even after extensive oral care indicates that

there is a problem in your gums. It is one of the first signs of gum disease. If you are experiencing a similar situation, make sure you schedule an appointment with a periodontist.

Teeth Begin to Feel Loose

Loose teeth might not be such a big issue for a baby and a young kid, but for an adult, it is a serious concern. If any of your teeth begin to feel loose, visit a periodontist without giving the idea any second thoughts. The sooner you realize you need a periodontist, the better it is for your gums. They can help in a timely diagnosis of gum diseases and addressing the problems before they become serious!

How Endodontics Is Performed

How Endodontics Is Performed

Damaged teeth due to caries that have not been treated can cause many problems. If the damage reaches the pulp of the tooth or even the nerve root, it can cause a lot of pain and even an infection that would cause them to lose the tooth if it is not treated as soon as possible. The best treatment a dentist can perform to prevent them from losing the tooth is endodontics. Endodontics is a treatment that consists of the partial or total extraction of the pulposus nucleus of the tooth, which is the internal part where the pulp ducts are located. It’s a tissue in the form of a strand that is made up of a dozen blood vessels and nerves. Until a few decades ago, endodontics was a rare treatment, so you only chose to remove teeth that had damaged pulp. Today, thanks to advances in both technology and dental treatment techniques, in addition to the development of new materials that act as a substitute for pulp, endodontics has helped save those damaged teeth.

How Endodontics Is Performed_1

The application of this treatment is necessary when the pulp is affected, which in addition to acute pain, causes inflammation. The first symptom that the pulp is inflamed is always the pain in the tooth or in the area of the gum where the damaged tooth is located. The pain can be stabbing of great intensity or of less intensity, but constant. Similarly, prolonged sensitivity to heat or cold, or changes between them, discoloration of the tooth, inflammation and sensitivity in the adjacent gums may occur. If any or several of these symptoms are detected, or there is a visible exposure of the pulp in the tooth, they should see a specialist immediately. If pulp damage is not detected in a timely manner, a deposit of pus may form at the root of the tooth, which causes an abscess due to infection. An aggravated infection of the gum can spread to the jaw and destroy the surrounding bone of the tooth. This, in addition to the loss of the dental piece, have major consequences such as facial cellulitis or osteomyelitis. Also, if the infection was transmitted by blood it can cause sepsis.

How is endodontics performed?

Once the dentist has checked your teeth and detected a fissure that exposes the pulp of the tooth, the treatment that can take a couple of appointments will begin so that they can recover the total use of the dental piece and stop the damage from infection and inflammation. However, in some cases the treatment can be extended by more appointments, depending on the degree of damage. The first thing that is done is a dental x-ray that covers the damaged part and the surrounding parts, to observe how far the infection reaches and how much is the damage to the nerve. In case the radiography fails, it is submitted to the tooth to tests of temperature, percussion and sensitivity, to determine if there is damage to the nerves or if another treatment can be chosen.

How Endodontics Is Performed_2

In case the endodontics is the only option, the outpatient procedure will be initiated where local anesthesia is applied, regardless of whether there is vital damage to the nerve or not. Once the anesthesia takes effect, the tooth is isolated by placing a staple and rubber on the tooth in order to keep it free of saliva, to subsequently remove all the nervous tissue that is damaged by caries or infection. It can be partially or totally removed. The tooth remains are cleaned and filed to completely disinfect the ducts and prevent the infection from reoccurring. Finally, the filling is carried out, which is the process of filling the ducts with an inert material and that is not rejected by the body. The material can be solid or plastics, which are the most common, such as antiseptic pastes, zinc cements or plastic resin base.