|
|
How Is A Periodontist Different From A Dentist? |
Posted on 7/24/2023 by Todd Jorgenson |
 Periodontists and dentists both work inside your mouth, and both are working to make your mouth as healthy as possible. There are differences between periodontists and dentists, however. You need to understand the differences between both these dental professionals so that you can get the best care possible.
What a Dentist Does
Dentists are concerned with the oral health of your mouth, including your teeth, gums, and hard and soft palates. In other words, if you are having issues with anything in your mouth, a dentist should be able to help. Dentists are responsible for identifying and fixing cavities, cracked, broken, or chipped teeth, and treating diseases, such as thrush, canker sores, and infections. Dentists also practice preventative care to prevent both tooth decay and gum disease through regular checkups and X-rays. They can perform exams and tests to diagnose cancer as well.
Dentists can treat everyone from the time a baby cuts its first tooth throughout its adult life. They are much like an internist or general practitioner for your medical health. Dentists can refer you to specialists within the dental field, such as an oral surgeon if you need one.
What a Periodontist Does
While dentists are concerned with the overall health of your mouth, periodontists treat only the tissues surrounding your teeth- which means their specialty is your gum tissue. A periodontist's main job is to treat gum (periodontal) disease. There are three stages of periodontal disease. The first stage is gingivitis, which either dentists or periodontists can treat. Gingivitis can be cured through proper gum cleaning and dental visits. However, once the gum disease has progressed to the second and third stages- of periodontitis- it is not curable. Periodontists can treat your gum disease to keep your mouth as healthy as possible. Often, this involves a deep gum cleaning- which is called scaling. Periodontists can also help with tooth and bone loss due to gum disease.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
