Because your mouth is so important to your health, dentists are only one of many different specialists who deal with your oral health.  That being said, your dentist is the one who can advise as to when it is necessary to see other specialists.  For this reason, having your bi-yearly dental appointments is critical to your oral health.  Your dentist may not be able to solve all oral health issues, but he or she can at least tell you what kind of specialist to get into contact with.  One of the most important types of oral health specialists are periodontists, since they focus on the health of your gums and other oral tissues.  Boulder Implants and Periodontics, located in Boulder, is one reputable periodontal clinic, specializing in a variety of different procedures and treatments.

When it comes to periodontal issues, the most common is periodontal disease, which is the term used to describe serious infections of the gum tissue.  Periodontal disease can occur, to various different degrees.  In its most extreme cases, though, it can have truly devastating impacts on your oral health.  As a matter of fact, though cavities are what most people think of when they think of oral hygiene-related health problems, periodontal disease likely poses a greater threat.  This is because a cavity only involves an excess of bacteria in key spots, on individual teeth, while periodontal disease can easily affect all of your gum tissue.  For this reason, the worst case scenario for one individual cavity is the loss of that specific tooth, while the worst case scenario for periodontal disease is the loss of all of your teeth.  Because of this, it is extremely important that you go to a periodontist, if your dentist believes you have signs of periodontal disease.

In terms of the signs of periodontal disease, you do not need to be a dental specialist to notice them.  Many of the most significant symptoms of periodontal disease are very easy to notice.  For example, if your gums appear redder and puffier than they should, there is a high chance that you are noticing the early signs of periodontal disease.  Furthermore, if your gums bleed, when you brush them and floss, you may have the condition.  Fortunately, because it is an infection, there are ways to reverse it, in its early stages, but it can be fairly problematic later on.

The consequences of having severe and untreated periodontal disease are quite devastating, though.  As you know, periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss, and it can do so very quickly, as opposed to cavities, which take some time.  If you do lose teeth to periodontal disease, you have a few options, but the best permanent solution is to get dental implants.  Dental implants are ideal for those who have lost teeth to periodontal disease, since the gum tissue gets deteriorated so badly that artificial teeth have nowhere to attach.  The dental implants are like roots for the artificial teeth.  The dental implant, though, is permanent, while the artificial teeth are removable.