Periodontics is a specialized area of dentistry that looks at the structures (bone, ligament and gum tissue) that hold our teeth in place. A periodontist is aspecialist in gums, bones and tissue that make up the infrastructure inside our mouths. A general dentist like Dr. Soordhar at Oasis Dental or a periodontist is an important provider of oral health services, as their expertise helps
keep the foundation for your teeth solid. You can have the cleanest teeth in the world, but without a solid foundation to keep them strong and in place you won’t keep those teeth for long!
Dental health a much more complex subject than many people realize. The inside of the mouth is a complex ecosystem made up of distinct parts, such as the pulp (interior nerves and blood vessels of the tooth), the tooth itself (enamel and dentine), the gums, and all the tissue and bone that provides the base for the gums and teeth. You have to look after all of these parts together in order to have perfect oral health.
Stages of Periodontal Disease
Just like any other part of the mouth, disease is possible in the periodontal system. Periodontal disease is often simply called gum disease, but this actually refers to a wide variety of infections and problems that can affect the periodontal tissues. Many of these conditions are caused by poor dental health and hygiene. These conditions can be very painful. For example, just like a tooth abscess you can get a periodontal abscess where the infection is in the gums rather than in the pulp of the tooth.
Periodontal Disease Prevention
Preventing periodontal disease is primarily achieved through great dental hygiene. Caring for your own teeth properly, getting a teeth cleaning regularly, dental checkups and following the advice of your dentist and dental hygienist are all important for preventing gum disease.
Other Areas of Periodontics
There are other issues of the gums and surrounding tissue that periodontists have to deal with. Receding gums is one of these. This is when the gum tissue begins to creep back, exposing more tooth than should be exposed in a healthy mouth. While periodontal disease can cause gums to recede, so can a number of other problems, ranging from genetics to tobacco to brushing your teeth to hard. However, a Dr. Soordhar at Oasis Dental or a periodontist can perform a procedure to help correct the issue.
Dr. Soordhar at Oasis Dental or a periodontist may also help to correct a gummy smile. This is when it appears as if too much gum is displayed when smiling. They can perform a number of procedures to correct this, ranging from reshaping the gums themselves to using lasers to perform small corrections.