The Role of the Periodontist

The periodontist can be one of the most important health professionals that a person could see in their lifetime. The periodontist is a dentist that specializes in the treating of and prevention of diseases of the periodontium.

The periodontium is the foundation structure of the teeth which includes the gums, the cementum (the surface layer of the tooth root), the alveolar bone (the ridge of the jaw bone that contains the tooth sockets), and the periodontal ligaments (fibers that attach the tooth to the alveolar bone).

There are many specific reasons why a dentist may refer a patient to the periodontist. This may be to specifically treat gingivitis or chronic periodontitis, aggressive periodontitis, or disease related periodontitis.

Chronic periodontitis, which is also known as adult periodontitis, may begin in a person as early as their teen years and slowly progresses through adulthood, depending on the response of the immune system in the person.

A person may see the periodontist for aggressive periodontitis. This type of disease generally occurs in people that are younger, even as young as pre-puberty. See examples of Gum Disease and find more information here. This type of periodontitis is thought to be directly linked to genetic predispositions. However, with early detection, the periodontist can help treat it. A patient may see the periodontist for certain disease related cases of periodontitis. This type of disease can be directly related to type 1 diabetes, Down’s syndrome, HIV, and other auto immune disorders that lower white blood cell counts.

Gum Infections

The periodontist sees many cases of acute necrotizing periodontal disease which is a focused infection of the gums. Symptoms of this disease may be characterized by unprompted bleeding, pain, bad odor, and black, dead tissue. The periodontist knows that there are over 300 different species of microorganisms living in a regular, healthy mouth.

Periodontal diseases are typically associated with less than 5% of these species. Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and porphyromonas gingivalis are two types of bacteria that the periodontist believes are directly related to periodontal disease. These bacteria have also been found to be resistant to typical treatments of antibiotics.

Many periodontists are finding that periodontal diseases are strongly linked to autoimmune disorders like HIV. This is where a person’s body attacks its own healthy cells. In periodontitis, the bacteria that forms plaque releases a toxin that is thought to stimulate a response in the immune system, which results in the attack of health gum tissue. In cases like this, it is imperative that a patient coordinates a treatment program with the periodontist.