San Diego Periodontal Disease

Dr. Richard T. Masek is a dentist and has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about Periodontal Disease.


Q. What is periodontal disease?

A.
•    Periodontal disease, simply stated is the inflammation of the gingival or gum tissues and/or the tooth supporting bone.
•    Periodontal disease may not always manifest with these symptoms , however.   Hard deposits from plaque accumulation may form at or below the gum line and result in bone loss that is not readily evident to the patient.

Q. Who gets periodontal disease?

A. Everyone, including children and teenagers, is susceptible based on physical plaque control and home care maintenance, as well as a variety of metabolic and general health factors. Truly, no one is immune from periodontal disease, but it can be prevented or managed.

Q. How does one know if I have a gum disease?

A. The disease might initially manifest itself with bleeding gums even with gentle brushing of the teeth.  Sometimes, the disease is "invisible" and bad odors or tastes might be the first indication to the patient.  More advanced visible manifestations would be red or red-purple color and swollen, puffy or shiny appearance to the gum tissues.

Q. How is periodontal disease detected?

A. Visible symptoms are a common method of discovery, but the hidden disease that does not present obvious symptoms is easily revealed during a comprehensive oral examination or during routine check-ups.  The dentist or hygienist can also examine the tissues throughout the mouth and screen for Cancer in the oral cavity.  To thoroughly evaluate periodontal disease, measurements of the position of the gum tissue relative to the tooth and bone are needed.  This is accomplished with gentle probing of the space between the tissue and the tooth with a measuring device.  This measurement is called the "pocket depth."  Normal areas will yield a pocket depth of 2 - 3 mm, whereas diseased areas may measure 4 - 6 mm.  Severe disease may create depths in the 8 - 12 mm or more range.  Many times there is bleeding or pus associated with the deeper pocket depths that may also contribute to bad tastes and odors.  X-Rays are also a very beneficial diagnostic tool to reveal advanced loss of the bone supporting the teeth, but do not always reveal the extent of periodontal disease.

Q. How is periodontal disease treated?

A.
•    Treatment of the disease is varied based on the extent of the disease, but the goal is the same; removal of the inflammation causing factors.
•    Treatment procedures might be as simple as polishing plaque from the surfaces of the teeth.  Scaling of hard deposits that accumulate above and below the gum tissue is also essential as these materials accumulate bacteria that fuels the inflammation.  Removal of the materials under the gum line is essential to alleviate the bone inflammation that leads to loss of the bone.
•    "Bacterial Debridement" of the pockets can also be accomplished with Laser therapy to reduce the bacteria levels and speed the healing response.
•    Placement of antibiotics directly into the affected pockets can also help control bacterial infection.
•    In severe cases of periodontal disease, surgery and grafting procedure may be needed.
•    If the disease progresses too far, loss of the tooth and sometimes surrounding teeth may be inevitable.

Q. Will Laser Periodontal Therapy be painful?

A. Laser therapies are generally performed in conjunction with other advanced treatment procedures.  Most often, these procedures are performed with local anesthesia.  As a result, the Laser procedure most often produce no noticeable sensations.

Q. Why does one need to see the hygienist regularly?

A. Regular visits to the hygienist can help in early discover and prevention of the progression of  periodontal disease.  Depending upon the health of the individual, 6 month or 12 month intervals are usually effective in preventing disease.  If the disease is already advanced, multiple visits may be required to control the disease.  Once the disease has been controlled through treatment, regular maintenance is mandatory to prevent recurrence.  Most often developing a lifetime habit of hygiene visits spaced about every 3 - 4 months is appropriate following periodontal treatment.

Q. How to contact Dr. Masek if we have further questions?    

A.
Address:
8505 Navajo Road
San Diego, CA 92119
Phone : (619) 828-1657
Fax: (619) 828-1718
Email: smiledr@mysmile.com
Website: http://www.mysmile.com/