Periodontal Disease Video

This video was found on You Tube and I thought it would be very informative for anyone who may or may not have gum disease.  It informs you about new studies that were found linking heart disease with gum disease.  It also tells you the steps that should be taken when dealing with periodontal disease such as deep cleanings (scaling and root planing) and also about Arestin the local antibiotic that is placed in only the infected sites.  There are three areas around a tooth(or 192 sites in your mouth including wisdom teeth).  The best way to find out if you have periodontal disease is to have your hygieneist do a periodontal probing.  This detects the bone loss and determines if the teeth are able to be treated or if extractions are necessary.  It only takes a few minutes and is not painful.  At this time the hygienist can determine what type of cleaning would need to be performed.  Pocket depths of 1,2 and 3’s are healthy, 4’s to 7’s are moderate periodontal disease and 8’s to 12’s indicate severe periodontal disease; at this stage they may be mobile, loose or falling out.  If you are diagnosed with periodontal disease and it is not too severe, you will need deep cleanings followed by more frequent cleanings about every 3 to 4 months.  This helps keep the bacteria down and also speeds up the healing process.  It is important that you brush twice a day and floss at least once a day.  Just click on the link below to view video.  Hope you fine it to be interesting.  Thank you Dr.Paul Caputo in Tampa Bay Palm Harbor area.