If you have ever been referred to a periodontist or told you need periodontal treatment, you may have found yourself asking: what is dental periodontics exactly, and why does it matter? Understanding this specialty can help you take your oral health more seriously and know what to expect if treatment is recommended.
Fact 1: What Is Dental Periodontics and What Does It Treat?
Dental periodontics is the branch of dentistry focused on the structures that support your teeth, including the gums, the periodontal ligament, and the jawbone. Periodontists are specialists who diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases that affect these tissues.
The most common condition treated is gum disease, also known as periodontitis. It starts as gingivitis, a mild inflammation of the gums caused by plaque buildup. If left untreated, it can progress into a more serious infection that destroys the soft tissue and bone holding your teeth in place.
Other conditions treated under this specialty include:
- Gum recession, where the gum tissue pulls back and exposes the tooth root
- Bone loss around the teeth caused by chronic infection
- Peri-implantitis, an infection around dental implants
- Aesthetic gum issues like an uneven gumline or excessive gum tissue
Periodontics also includes placing and maintaining dental implants, since the health of the surrounding bone and gum tissue directly affects implant success.
Fact 2: Gum Disease Is More Common Than Most People Realize
One of the most important things to understand about dental periodontics is the scale of the problem it addresses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of adults aged 30 and older in the United States have some form of periodontal disease.
Many of those people do not know it. Gum disease often progresses without causing significant pain, which means patients can lose bone and tissue support for years before noticing a problem. By the time symptoms like loose teeth or receding gums appear, the disease may already be in an advanced stage.
This is why regular dental checkups matter so much. Identifying early signs of gum disease and referring patients to periodontal care quickly is one of the best ways to prevent serious damage.
Fact 3: Periodontal Treatment Can Save Your Teeth and Protect Your Health
Treating gum disease is not just about saving your smile. Research has linked periodontal disease to serious systemic health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, respiratory illness, and complications during pregnancy. Addressing the infection in your mouth may have benefits that extend well beyond your teeth.
Common periodontal treatments include:
- Scaling and root planing, also called a deep cleaning, which removes bacteria from below the gumline
- Gum grafting to restore receded gum tissue
- Osseous surgery to reshape the bone around infected teeth
- Dental implants to replace teeth lost to severe gum disease
- Ongoing periodontal maintenance to keep the disease from returning
The goal of dental periodontics is to stop the disease from progressing, restore the health of the supporting structures, and give patients the tools to maintain those results long-term.
Getting the Right Care at Kremer Dental Care
Now that you have a clearer answer to what is dental periodontics, the next step is finding out whether you might need this type of care. At Kremer Dental Care, we provide comprehensive periodontics services including evaluation, treatment, and long-term maintenance for patients dealing with gum disease at any stage.
We also offer routine teeth cleaning appointments to help patients stay healthy between visits and catch early signs of gum disease before they become serious problems.
If you have been told you have gum disease, noticed changes in your gums, or simply want to know more about your periodontal health, contact us today to schedule an appointment at one of our two Chico locations.
