Frequently Asked Questions

Periodontists have advanced training in the treatment of periodontal disease and dental implants.

Patients with periodontal infection have lower resistance to periodontal bacteria. This causes a continuing gum infection that can grow in bursts of activity. Some factors that can cause a dramatic speed-up of your periodontal disease are:

		Poor oral hygiene
		Dental plaque
		Smoking
		Genetic factors
		Stress
		Diet
		Age
		Illness

Two other important factors are:

		Lack of regular dental checkups.
		Lack of regular dental cleanings.

When your infection has a "burst" of growth, or when there are signs that this is may occur, periodontal treatment may be recommended.

Periodontal disease is an infection in the gums and jawbone. The goal of treatment is to remove this infection and prevent it from coming back. For more information see the Procedures section.

After your initial examination, we will completely explain the treatment you will need.

One of our primary concerns is that you have a comfortable experience during treatment. Towards this end, we offer an extensive array of the latest techniques to minimize discomfort.

For more information on these techniques, see the Procedures section.

Many of our patients come back stating they are amazed at how little discomfort they experienced.

On your first visit to our office, you will receive a periodontal examination. You should experience little, if any, discomfort during this examination. If necessary, x-rays will be taken to further evaluate any loss of bone around your teeth.

Afterwards, your findings and options for treatment will be thoroughly explained. At that time the doctor will answer any questions you may have.

Our goal is that you leave with a complete understanding of your condition and the treatment needed to restore you to optimum oral health.

Everyone deserves to keep their natural teeth for a lifetime. While periodontal treatment is not as costly as replacing natural teeth due to tooth loss, its cost can vary greatly depending upon your needs.

If you have dental insurance, this may provide full or partial coverage. Our office will contact your insurance company to learn what they will cover. We do accept assignment of most insurance benefits and your responsibility will only be to cover the remainder.

We feel that finances should never be an obstacle to treatment. For your convenience, we offer several payment options. We also have payment plans to suit your individual needs. Our insurance coordinator will be happy to answer any of your financial or insurance questions.

Periodontal infection grows in "bursts of activity".

It is likely that you have been referred to us because your general dentist has noticed an increase in infection activity.

This infection eats away at the bone that supports your teeth (leading to tooth loss). If not treated, there can be a number of consequences. Please see the Dental & Medical Consequences section for a list of these.

When periodontal infection gets into the bone around your teeth, it can then enter your blood stream. From there it travels to other parts of the body and can contribute to medical problems.

Recent research has found that patients with periodontal disease are more than twice as likely to have heart disease or suffer a stroke. There are also indications it can contribute to diabetes, osteoporosis, and respiratory disease.

Please read the section entitled "Dental & Medical Consequences" to see an overview of recent research correlating periodontal disease with serious medical problems, or visit our Links page.

Your general dentist knows your entire dental history, the condition of your teeth, and your future dental needs. He is in charge of your overall dental care. We work closely with him or her to ensure you will receive the best possible dental care.

Once the active disease is treated by your periodontist, your general dentist will do your restorative work and a portion of your periodontal maintenance afterwards. This co-therapy combination is very important in stopping the progression of destruction from the disease process.

Dental implants are permanent, natural looking replacements for missing teeth. It acts as an artificial tooth root, much like artificial hip or knee joints. The dental implant itself is a post that is attached to your jawbone. This post provides an anchor for your general dentist to place crowns, bridges or other restorations.

We are experts in the placement of dental implant posts. Dental implants begin with an evaluation by your general dentist who will decide if you are a good candidate for this procedure.

For more detailed information, please see the section entitled "Dental Implants".

We keep ourselves up to date regarding equipment and periodontal procedures. You can be sure you will receive state-of-the-art care in our office.

Regarding sterilization, we believe that all procedures should be safe as well as comfortable. We use only the latest sterilization techniques. For more information on treatment techniques and sterilization see the section entitled "Procedures".

Besides periodontal treatment and dental implants, we can perform a number of procedures, including:

		Crown Lengthening
		Cosmetic Gingival (gum) Grafting
		Gingival (gum) Contouring
		Bone Grafting
		Frenectomy
		Ridge Augmentation

For more information on these procedures, please see the section entitled "Procedures".