If you have noticed that your gums bleed when you brush your teeth or you have been told by a dentist that you have gum disease, there may come a point when you need to be seen by a periodontist. This is a type of dental specialist that deals with periodontal disease, from gingivitis to the more advanced periodontist. They provide treatments like bone grafts, scaling and root planing, and gum grafts. Here are some signs that you need to see a periodontist.
You Have Noticed Changes in Your Gums
Since periodontal disease is a disease of the gums, this is naturally where you will first start seeing changes. During the first stage of gum disease, called gingivitis, the gums will become red and swollen and you will likely notice bleeding when brushing or flossing your teeth. If you ignore these signs, it can advance to moderate or severe gum disease, where your gums bleed randomly throughout the day and they start to recede. You can usually notice other gum changes as well, such as large pockets forming between the gums and the teeth.
Your Bad Breath Doesn't Go Away
Everyone has bad breath from time to time, whether in the morning before you brush your teeth or after eating something heavy with onion or garlic. However, if you notice that you always have bad breath, no matter how much brushing or flossing you do, and even after chewing mints or gum, then it might be due to periodontal disease. In addition to noticing chronic bad breath, you may also have a bad taste in your mouth that you can't seem to shake. In both cases, it is due to bacteria in your gums from the gum disease, a common sign that you need to see a periodontist.
Your Teeth Are Moving
Also pay close attention to your teeth and look for signs that they might be shifting or becoming loose. A common sign that they are shifting is by smiling and seeing if there are any gaps or lack of gaps that used to be there. This can happen gradually and be very subtle at first, then one day you smile and notice your big gap has closed. This might seem like a good thing, but can actually be from teeth shifting as a result of gum disease. You can also notice your teeth changing if your bite pattern is different than it used to be.
Share23 August 2016
When I had my first child, I was a nervous wreck. Every book I read gave different advice, and I just wanted to be right! By the time I had my third child, some of the stress had abated. I now realised, there were tons of different perspectives on everything related to raising children including dentistry. To help parents, I have created this blog dedicated to unraveling dental myths about children. I am including posts that weigh both sides of issues such as thumb sucking, dental caries, breastfeeding, flossing and any other topic I can think of. I hope you find the information you need to unravel dental myths, but most importantly, I hope you find some peace of mind. With kids and dentistry, there can be more than one right answer, and I want you to be able to relax and go with the answer that's right for you.
