Oral health is of great importance for the normal functioning of the body as a whole. It is no secret that when a person loses certain functions, the process of work of all internal organs and systems is disrupted. Therefore, not only on the basis of aesthetic considerations, a person must monitor the health of his teeth and oral mucous membranes. If there are any problems, then a periodontist will come to the rescue. Who is this? Maybe someone first hears this term. This is exactly what will be discussed in our article.
Periodontology
Modern dentistry includes many sections of narrow specialization. One of them is periodontology. Its focus is on the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity. Attention is also paid to preventive measures aimed at preventing the disease.
What does a periodontist treat?
As we already understood, these are soft tissues of the oral cavity. A specialist in this field of dentistry is a periodontist. It turns out that in most cases, the loss of teeth humanity is due to the progression of gum disease. And so, in order to avoid terrible consequences, you must at least have information on the topic to begin with. Indeed, if a person is informed, it means that he is armed. So, what does a periodontist save us from? These are gingivitis, periodontitis, periodontal disease and many other ailments that affect the soft tissues of the oral cavity.
Reasons for concern
According to statistics, most patients do not attach importance to manifestations that occur on the mucous membranes in the mouth until they begin to seriously disturb them. Patients most often make sure that carious lesions and cavities do not appear on the teeth. Only then they go to the dental office. Most often, the dentist indicates that there are problems with the gums. The periodontist also provides qualified assistance if a disease is diagnosed as suggested by the therapist. Knowing the main symptoms caused by gum ailments, we ourselves can be vigilant.
1. The inflammatory process on the gums.
2. Bleeding during hygiene procedures, meals or even without contact with anything hard.
3. Unpleasant sensations, expressed in the form of pain or itching.
4. Difficulties in chewing solid foods.
5. Gum prolapse.
6. Tooth mobility.
7. Bad breath.
If any of these symptoms bother a person, then he urgently needs to go to an appointment with a specialist such as a periodontist. This can all be the start of a serious illness. And as you know, any ailment is easier to treat at the initial stage.
Gingivitis
This is the most common form of gum disease in patients. Gingivitis is diagnosed when an inflammatory process is visualized on the edges of the soft tissues that are adjacent to the teeth. The areas between the teeth are also affected and swelling in the form of papillae is formed. The cause of the inflammatory process is most often a banal neglect of oral hygiene procedures. Soft and hard deposits on the teeth are a hotbed of pathological microflora. If they are not removed in a timely manner, then gingivitis develops in humans.
The disease is expressed in swelling, swelling and redness of the soft tissues. To all this is added bleeding gums and an unpleasant odor. Having discovered these symptoms, it is urgent to go to an appointment with a specialist. A good periodontist is able to quickly cope with the ailment in question. Do not try to treat the disease yourself. You can alleviate the condition, but to achieve good results will not work. And all because the cause of the inflammatory process is deposits on the teeth, respectively, first of all, they must be removed. The dentist will do this. After this procedure, the periodontist will conduct a course of anti-inflammatory therapy. If you let the situation drift, you run the risk of encountering a more serious manifestation of the disease - periodontitis.
Periodontitis
This is the next stage of the inflammatory process of the gums, which arises from advanced gingivitis. With periodontitis, deeper tissues are already affected. Symptoms are aggravated, and treatment, by the way, is now becoming not so simple. The disease is divided into several types. It all depends on the area of the lesion, the severity and causes. Periodontitis is localized and genitalized. In the first case, inflammation forms in the area near one or more adjacent teeth. In the second case, the gum is affected along almost the entire length of the jaw arch.
During the diagnosis, the specialist asks the patient about his culinary preferences, about the presence of bad habits, about the lifestyle and existing diseases. All this is necessary to know in order to get a more accurate picture of the situation. As with gingivitis, the first step is to remove deposits on the teeth. Only after this the periodontist takes up the case. This treatment is considered complex. After removing the deposits, the doctor rinses around the gingival pockets, imposes applications, gives recommendations on the topic of hygienic treatment of the oral cavity, rinses at home and, possibly, tips for correcting the diet.
Periodontal disease
This disease is already much more serious than the previously described ailments. Fortunately, today not so many patients start the course of the disease to such an extent. Statistics show that periodontal disease is not more than 5-10% of the total number of patients. The ailment in question is characterized not only by an inflammatory process. Dystrophic changes occur in soft and hard tissues. This is an irreversible process. Here it’s certainly impossible to self-medicate. Only a periodontist can help you. Patient reviews indicate that after treatment, the quality of life improves significantly. Modern technology allows you to work wonders.
It is worth paying attention that with this disease the symptoms are already radically different from the signs inherent in gingivitis and periodontitis. The gums have a pale appearance due to dystrophic disorders in the vascular system. Its edges can be so low that the teeth take a wedge-shaped shape. The root neck of the tooth is also visible. Bleeding may be absent, and pain, by the way, too. That is what can dull a person’s vigilance. At a certain stage of the disease, he is not particularly bothered by anything except a violation of the aesthetics of the dentition and an unpleasant odor. But the disease is progressing. Then, tooth mobility is added to these symptoms . They lose fixation and may even fall out. What does a periodontist do in this case?
Emergency help
An indisputable fact remains that with inflammatory processes of the gums, the patient needs qualified help. And if everything goes quickly in the initial stages, then cardinal measures should be taken when diagnosing the advanced stage of periodontitis or the beginning of periodontal disease. At the preparatory stage, deposits are removed and these areas are ground. Next, the dentist sanitizes the oral cavity. Meanwhile, a periodontist begins to apply anti-inflammatory therapy. The surgeon removes units that cannot be recovered. After that, the doctor is faced with the task of fixing the patient's loosened teeth so that he does not lose them. At this stage, the process may take on an uncontrolled nature (if the disease is not treated). Loss of dental units can occur very quickly if no action is taken.
As a rule, doctors suggest that the patient apply splinting of moving teeth. Thus, they are relieved of excessive load when chewing food. The doctor drills a groove along the teeth. It integrates a single fiber optic tape. All this is filled with a translucent composite. During the procedure, not only the fixation of the sick units occurs, but also the correction of the aesthetics of the smile.
In the case when the patient has lost part of the dentition, he is offered prosthetics. This is already done by a specialist orthodontologist.
Prevention
No one will protect our health for us. Therefore, the burden of responsibility lies only with us. It is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of the oral cavity. In order to avoid the occurrence of inflammatory processes, it is necessary to perform brushing in a timely and appropriate manner. In addition, a visit to the dentist is mandatory at least once every six months. Even if there are no problems with the teeth, at the reception you will be asked to perform professional cleaning of soft and hard deposits. It is also necessary to monitor your diet. Nutrition should contain a complex of all necessary trace elements and vitamins. It is advisable to get rid of bad habits. Tobacco and alcohol do not contribute to the health of your gums.
Conclusion
Now we know who a periodontist is and what he does. Having at least superficial information about diseases of the oral cavity, each of us will be able to prevent the development of serious illnesses. If even minor symptoms of the inflammatory process appear, it is urgent to go to the doctor's office. Then everything will pass quickly and painlessly, and your teeth will remain in place.