If it has been recommended to you by your dentist that you visit a periodontist, or you have chosen to see a periodontist on your own because you know that your gums are not in the best condition they can be in, you may be wondering what to expect when you first visit the specialist’s office. Questions like “what will happen?”, “will it hurt?” and “how often will I have to keep going back?” may be running through your mind.
But, if you have been told that you need to visit a periodontist, you should not put off making an appointment because you are nervous or not sure what to expect. The sooner you go and begin treatment, the healthier your gums will remain – and hopefully they will even improve. While all visits to a periodontist will differ somewhat, depending on who you see and what the condition of your mouth is in, here is a brief overview of what you can generally expect to happen on your first visit.
The first time you see a new periodontist, just like with any type of dental professional, you should expect him or her to do a thorough evaluation of your gums, teeth and overall oral health. This will occur through a hands-on oral examination, but may also include the taking of dental x-rays. If you have recently had x-rays taken at the dentist, it may be worthwhile to bring a copy of the x-rays with you so that additional films do not have to be taken and the periodontist can simply look at your most recent x-rays to evaluate teeth and underlying bone structure.
At this first visit, you will probably also be asked a series of questions related to your overall medical health, as well as your medical history. This is the time to discuss any current or previous medical conditions and to tell the periodontist about any medications you take, including vitamins and supplements. While you may not think that this portion of the exam is important, the fact is that it can be extremely important, since gum disease has been shown to be linked to other medical conditions, such as cardiac and respiratory problems, diabetes, and other potentially serious health issues.
Once your medical history has been completed and a preliminary oral health evaluation has been performed, including the taking or reviewing of any x-rays, the periodontist will discuss any issues he or she sees with your gums and teeth and will then recommend a treatment plan to address any problems. In many cases, since periodontists primarily handle problems with gums, the treatment will not simply be a single procedure, but it will be recommended that you return on a regular, periodic basis for ongoing treatments to keep your gums as healthy as possible. Just as it is important to keep to a regular dental visit schedule to keep your teeth at their healthiest, it is also important to keep to a regular periodontic visit schedule, if suggested, to keep your gums at their healthiest.
The types of treatment you can expect when you visit the periodontist can vary depending on your particular case and the philosophy of the periodontist, and can range from anything from an oral cleaning technique that is similar to what you are used to from your dentist to more involved or invasive procedures, including non-surgical and surgical techniques.
Park Dental Care has a periodontist on staff in our Queens dental office. For more information about our peridontic procedures in Queens, contact Park Dental Care at 718-274-1515.
