How Is Periodontal Disease Diagnosed?

Periodontal disease is a severe gum infection that, if untreated, may destroy the soft tissues and bones supporting the teeth. It could cause the teeth to loosen, and is currently the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.

Although periodontal disease is common, it can easily be prevented with good oral hygiene, which includes brushing and flossing regularly, as well as regular visits to the dentist for checkup and cleanings. The checkups give the dentist a chance to diagnose gum disease before it worsens and reduces the risk of getting the disease.

Symptoms of periodontal disease

Healthy gums should appear pale pink and stay firmly fitted around the teeth. Patients who have a form of gum disease may experience symptoms such as:

• Tender Gums
• Bleeding gums
• Swollen or inflamed gums
• Purplish, bright red, or dull red gums
• Receding Gums
• Bad breath
• Pus pockets around the teeth
• Loose teeth
• Changes in bite fit and alignment
• Painful chewing and biting
• Spaces between the teeth

Types of periodontal disease

This disease takes different forms. Dentists often deal with the following types of periodontal disease:

Chronic periodontitis

This is the most common type of gum diseases and mostly affects adults, although children are not exempted. This type is caused by the accumulation of plaque and causes gradual deterioration that may get better or worse with time. If left untreated, it will cause damages to the gums and bones and cause tooth loss.

Aggressive periodontitis

This form often starts during childhood or early adulthood and affects only a small percentage. This type is often hereditary and may cause rapid degeneration of the bone and tooth loss if untreated.

Necrotizing gum disease

The signs usually include the death (necrosis) of gum tissues, tooth ligaments, and supporting bone due to a shortage of blood supply to the area, and causing severe infection. This type is usually diagnosed in people suffering from malnutrition and compromised immune systems, often from HIV infection or cancer treatment.

Getting a diagnosis

To diagnose and determine the type and severity of gum disease, the dentist will perform the following:

• Review of the patient’s medical history to know the factors that may be aggravating the symptoms, including smoking and medications that cause dry mouth.
• Examine the mouth for plaque and calculus accumulation and check for bleeding
• Check the pocket depth of the gums using a dental probe, place beside the tooth under the gum line at different points in the oral cavity. The pocket should be between one and three millimeters in a healthy mouth. Pockets beyond four millimeters may mean gum disease. It is harder to clean pockets deeper than six millimeters.
• The dentist may also perform x-ray scans to determine if there is bone loss in the deep gum pockets.

Final note

Patients need to abide by their dentist’s rules for routine checkups. Once they notice any of the signs of periodontal disease, they must immediately book an appointment with the dentist. The earlier the treatment commences, the better the chances of resolving the damages caused by gum disease.

Request an appointment here: https://thechesterfielddentist.com or call Chesterfield Dentist at (804) 412-0867 for an appointment in our Chester office.

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