A periodontist is a dentist who treats dental patients who have periodontal disease. This is dental disease that has progressed beyond the normal dental care boundaries of plaque removal, dental checkups, and the filling of cavities, or surface dental caries in the tooth portion that is above the gum line.
Periodontal disease, however can be quite serious as this is when the plaque has progressed and hardened to the point to where it has caused a compromise at the gum line itself, allowing bacteria to enter an area below the gums, and in most cases has caused tooth decay infection near and at the root of the tooth.
This can become very painful for the patient and in many cases will cause tooth loss if action is not taken in a very immediate way. Procedures can involve opening up the gum surgically and dealing with tooth restoration at that lower level.
As one can imagine, the procedures are more invasive and more involved than just filling a tooth above the gum line. These are answers to the question one might ask as to why use a periodontist, as it requires a referral in most cases from your regular dentist, and the work is very involved to the point that it takes a dentist who is specially trained in that area.
For these reasons, Periodontists are required to have more training and education than your typical dentist, and their practice is deemed to be a specialty practice.
Some of the functions and duties of the periodontist includes root planing and scaling, which the surface of the tooth is cleaned when it is infected, root debridement, where damaged tissue gets removed, and various types of gum surgery. Periodontists are also specially trained and work in the area of placement, maintenance and the repair of dental implants.
Periodontal disease, however can be quite serious as this is when the plaque has progressed and hardened to the point to where it has caused a compromise at the gum line itself, allowing bacteria to enter an area below the gums, and in most cases has caused tooth decay infection near and at the root of the tooth.
This can become very painful for the patient and in many cases will cause tooth loss if action is not taken in a very immediate way. Procedures can involve opening up the gum surgically and dealing with tooth restoration at that lower level.
As one can imagine, the procedures are more invasive and more involved than just filling a tooth above the gum line. These are answers to the question one might ask as to why use a periodontist, as it requires a referral in most cases from your regular dentist, and the work is very involved to the point that it takes a dentist who is specially trained in that area.
For these reasons, Periodontists are required to have more training and education than your typical dentist, and their practice is deemed to be a specialty practice.
Some of the functions and duties of the periodontist includes root planing and scaling, which the surface of the tooth is cleaned when it is infected, root debridement, where damaged tissue gets removed, and various types of gum surgery. Periodontists are also specially trained and work in the area of placement, maintenance and the repair of dental implants.