Periodontal Treatment
Periodontitis is the leading cause of tooth loss among adults in the United States. This infection of the gums is caused by gingivitis between the gums and the teeth, which slowly causes the gum to pull away from the teeth, causing further tarter build up in these hard to reach areas. Eventually the infection causes inflammation to the bone which in turn causes slow bone deterioration under the attachment on the tooth, causing the tooth to detach and tooth loss to occur.
Periodontitis is diagnosed by measuring the space between the tooth and the gums at six sites on each tooth. The depth of your gum is used to determine the health of the gums. Also looked for is inflammation of the gums, bleeding, quantity of tarter buildup and any indication of infections.