Periodontal disease or commonly known as “gum disease” is the disease relating to the soft tissue and the bone around the teeth. It can be ranging from simple gum inflammation to damage to the bone around the teeth.
The dentist diagnoses the periodontal disease with several indicators. First, by clinical examination, the dentist would perform measurement to the depth of the gum pockets and record the condition of the soft tissue around the teeth. This called periodontal charting. Dentist would use a periodontal probe instrument to insert into the gum pocket and to measure the depth of the gum pocket. A health measurement of the depth of the gum pocket should be from 1 to 3 mm. As disease progresses, the gum pockets deepen. As the measurement increases to 4mm which is the warning sign of possibly having periodontal disease. Definitive diagnosis can be made if the measurement is 5 mm or greater.
The second indicator is the appearance of the soft tissue around teeth. If the tissue appears swollen or red, the tissue is said to be inflammed. Also, inflammation of tissue will cause bleeding when patient brushes his/her teeth. During clinical periodontal charting, the tissue will bleed in response to the probing pressure of the dentist’s measurement instrument.
The third indicator is dentist’s detection of calculus below the gum line with his detection instrument called the dental explorer. If patient has accumulation of calculus, often by visual examination dentist is able to see the problem.
Fourth, dentist will use the xray image to confirm the the bone level. With periodontal disease, the bone around the teeth will be compromised. The height of the bone will be less than the normal healthy bone.
With the increased bone loss, the teeth will become loose over time.
Periodontal disease is a chronic disease. Often patient does not feel much pain until at the later stage of the disease process. At the beginning, patient may notice bleeding during brushing. Visually, accumulation of calculus can be noticed. By annual checkup, dentist is able to detect and diagnose the periodontal disease. The treatment includes periodontal cleaning (or Scaling and Root Planing.) In a worse case, periodontal surgery might be needed. Buildup of artificial bone might be required to restore the damaged bone.
Written by Daniel Tee, DDS, MS
Practicing Dentist Serving Tempe, Chandler, Phoenix, Mesa, and Gilbert Arizona
