A Periodontist is a dentist who completes three years of additional formal training beyond dental school in an accredited residency training program to diagnose and treat periodontal diseases. A periodontist is also an expert in the surgical management of the replacement of teeth with dental implants.

You may have been seen by your General Dentist or Hygienist who suggested that you seek the opinion of and treatment by a Periodontist because he or she observed signs of periodontal disease through the course of a routine check-up or other dental care appointment.

However, you can also elect to visit a Periodontist on your own, or to refer a friend or family member to a Periodontist, if any of the following conditions or symptoms exists:

• BLEEDING GUMS while brushing or eating normal foods, a most common sign of periodontal disease

• BAD BREATH. Persistent bad breath (halitosis) can be a sign of gingivitis, periodontitis or infection
• LOOSE TEETH or RECESSION of the gums is a sign of bone loss around the teeth, indicative of periodontal disease
• MISSING TEETH with need for replacement
• ILL FITTING DENTURES or PARTIAL DENTURES
• DIABETES OR DISEASES OF INFLAMMATORY ORIGIN can be negatively affected by the inflammation of periodontal disease. If you have such a condition, you should therefore be screened for the presence of periodontal disease
• PERSISTENT REDDENED PATCHES, SORES THAT REFUSE TO HEAL, A LUMP OR THICKENING OF ANY PORTION OF THE SKIN WITHIN THE MOUTH, DIFFICULTY SWALLOWING — may signal a pathologic process that should be diagnosed accurately by means of a biopsy