Because your smile is our passion.
Periodontal disease is diagnosed by your dentist or dental hygienist during a periodontal examination. This type of exam should always be part of your regular dental check-up.
A periodontal probe (small dental instrument) is gently used to measure the sulcus (pocket or space) between the tooth and the gums. The depth of a healthy sulcus measures three millimeters or less and does not bleed. The periodontal probe helps indicate if pockets are deeper than three millimeters. As periodontal disease progresses, the pockets usually get deeper.
Your dentist or hygienist will use pocket depths, amount of bleeding, inflammation, tooth mobility, etc., to make a diagnosis that will fall into a category below:
Gingivitis is the first stage of periodontal disease. Plaque and its toxin by-products irritate the gums, making them tender, inflamed, and likely to bleed.
Plaque hardens into calculus (tartar). As calculus and plaque continue to build up, the gums begin to recede from the teeth. Deeper pockets form between the gums and teeth and become filled with bacteria and pus. The gums become very irritated, inflamed, and bleed easily. Slight to moderate bone loss may be present.
The teeth lose more support as the gums, bone, and periodontal ligament continue to be destroyed. Unless treated, the affected teeth will become very loose and may be lost. Generalized moderate to severe bone loss may be present.
We will attempt to arrange your appointments to fit your daily schedule as much as possible. Usually, this goal is easily accomplished due to our flexible office hours. However, some treatments are best performed at certain times of the day. In the case of dental emergencies, we will schedule you as soon as possible; our available times may not correspond to your preferred appointment time. As a courtesy to our other patients, we kindly request 2-business days notice when you are cancelling or rescheduling an appointment. Due to the high demand for late afternoon/evening appointments, if less than 2-business days notice is given, we can no longer reserve these appointments for you. We would, however, be happy to place you on a cancellation list and call you when a late day appointment becomes available.
The first step towards a beautiful, healthy smile is to schedule an appointment. Please contact our office by phone or complete the appointment request form below. Our scheduling coordinator will contact you to confirm your appointment.