Diagnosis
Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease is diagnosed by your dentist or dental hygienist during a periodontal examination. This type of exam should always be part of your regular dental check-up.
During the examination, your dentist or dental hygienist will look for any signs that you may have gum disease. A periodontal probe is a small dental instrument used to measure the sulcus (pocket or space) between the tooth and the gums.
The depth of healthy sulcus measures three millimeters or less and does not bleed. The periodontal probe helps indicate if pockets are deeper than three millimeters. As periodontal disease progresses, the pockets usually get deeper.
Your dentist or hygienist will use pocket depths, amount of bleeding, inflammation, tooth mobility, etc. to assess the state of your gums and to make a diagnosis that will fall into a category below:
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is the first stage of periodontal disease. It’s caused when plaque and its toxin by-products irritate the gums, making them tender, inflamed, and likely to bleed.
Periodontitis
As plaque hardens into calculus (tartar) The most common symptoms of this disease are bleeding gums, loose teeth, and receding gums. Other symptoms include sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures, pain in the jaw joint, and headache due to increased pressure in the jaw. The gums become very irritated, inflamed, and bleed easily.
Advanced Periodontitis
As time goes on, the teeth lose more support as the gums, bone, and periodontal ligament continues to be destroyed. Eventually, the teeth become loose in their sockets. They can also become discolored and more prone to cavities.
Unless treated, the affected teeth will become very loose and may be lost. Generalized moderate to severe bone loss may be present.
