Dr. Enrico DiVito is a general and cosmetic dentist who specializes in laser dentistry at the Arizona Center for Laser Dentistry in North Scottsdale. A graduate of Arizona State University and the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, Dr. DiVito returned to Arizona and established a private practice in 1980. He founded the Arizona Center for Laser Dentistry in 2007. In this article, he explains how to tell if you need to book an appointment with the periodontist.
Periodontics is the treatment and maintenance of the gums and bone matter that support the teeth. Sometimes, what happens is that people get gingivitis or gum disease, and they may need to book an appointment with their periodontist to have it checked out.
The best way to determine, though, if what you are experiencing with your gums is cause for concern is by having frequent visits with your regular, general dentist. I usually recommend most patients come in for a general dentist appointment once every six months. However certain patients may be advised to come in more frequently. And of course, if you feel like something might be wrong, then I recommend you book an appointment immediately just to be sure.
When you come in for a check up with your regular dentist, what he will be checking for is bleeding, puffy, or discolored gums. All of these are signs that something might be going on with your oral health, or that you might be on track for needing to see a periodontist specifically. So your first line of defense in protecting your gums is a well and timely made general office visit for semi-annual cleanings. And in the majority of cases, it is at that general office visit when we will discoverer if you have anything going wrong in your mouth or gums.
Like I said, bleeding, puffy, or discolored gums are all signs that something might be going on. But in addition, some of our patients say that they notice other things as well. When they brush their teeth, for example, a patient with early stages of gingivitis might notice blood in the sink. Or patients who floss regularly will say that when they tried to floss, they saw blood on the dental floss. Additional issues that we as dentists can recognize as signs include itchy gums or brightly colored red or purple gums—which are both signs of gingivitis.
Odor is another thing that can be an early sign of detection. Of course, when a patient has bad breath that does not necessarily mean that he has gingivitis or gum disease. But by coming in to the dentists’ office, we can tell by the specific odor what is causing that problem and whether it is being caused by a gum issue. That is something we can tell by the odor specifically, as well as other telltale signs. But, like I said, a patient will need to come into the office to determine what exactly is causing the foul odor, and to separate it from any problems that might be even more dangerous.
In general, patients who have gum problems like gingivitis can be treated simply by coming in to a general dentist’s office, like at the Arizona Center for Laser Dentistry, and having their teeth cleaned. In addition, we will ask the patient to follow a strict oral regimen, which can include antibacterial rinses. However, gum disease and gingivitis both should not be taken lightly. These are both issues that, if left untreated, may require a patient to make a follow-up appointment with a periodontist specifically to get things checked out.
So that is just something to keep in mind. But, in general, a regular visit to your general dentist for cleanings is always your best defense against having to visit the periodontist and worry about gum disease issues.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
