You may have periodontal (gum) disease and not even realize it. That's because periodontal disease is usually not painful, especially in its early stages. To check for signs and symptoms of periodontal disease, we perform a thorough periodontal examination, which includes the use of a periodontal probe and X-rays.

Periodontal disease is an infection in the gums, caused by the bacteria in plaque. When your gums are healthy, they fit tightly against your teeth. If you have periodontal disease, your gums pull away from your teeth in response to the infection.

In a healthy mouth, the space between your teeth and gums (called a sulcus) is one to three millimeters deep. When you have periodontal disease, the sulcus deepens and exceeds three millimeters; it's then called a pocket. In general, the deeper the pockets, the greater the spread of periodontal disease.

During your exam, we use a special instrument with millimeter markings (called a periodontal probe) to measure the sulcus or pocket depths around your teeth.

We also carefully note any bleeding as we take your periodontal measurements. Bleeding gums upon probing (as well as when you brush and floss) are another sign of periodontal disease; healthy gums don't bleed.

We'll also note the color and texture of your gums; healthy gums are pink, and have a "stippled" appearance, similar to the skin of an orange. In the early stages of periodontal disease, this stippling is lost as the gums become red and swollen. This is called gingivitis.

Finally, we'll take X-rays of your mouth to establish whether there has been bone loss around your teeth - another indicator of periodontal disease. If your mouth is healthy, the bone comes up high around the necks of your teeth. With periodontal disease, bone is lost. The longer it goes untreated, the more bone is lost. Once bone is lost, it never grows back. That's why it's critical to diagnose and treat periodontal disease early - to prevent continued bone loss and the eventual loss of teeth.

Removing The Infectious Bacteria Will Stop The Bone Loss

After a thorough evaluation, the treatment of periodontal disease begins with scaling and root planing. Using special instruments, we carefully and meticulously remove the plaque and tartar that extend below the gum line. Then we smooth the root surfaces. This treatment allows the infected gum tissue to heal and to form new, healthier attachments to the root surfaces. In cases of advanced periodontal disease, and in cases where pockets fail to heal after root planing, we may recommend that you see a Periodontist, or gum specialist. They may prescribe a surgical treatment of the disease, antibiotics, or an anti-microbial mouth rinse (to fight the growth of bacteria that leads to periodontal disease).