How to Find a Periodontist Who Is Right for You – 7 Helpful Tips
When you have any of these symptoms like loose teeth or bad breath, it’s time to visit a periodontist. How can you find the right one?
Not all periodontists offer the same services or customer care. When choosing a professional to help improve the health of your gums, it’s crucial to find a periodontist with the best skills and credentials.
What should you know when choosing the best professional? Check out these seven helpful tips to find a periodontist.
What Is Periodontics Dentistry?
A periodontist is more than a dentist that focuses on gums. These specialists go through at least three years of additional school to specialize in the prevention and treatment of periodontal disease (gum disease) and placing dental implants.
The overall health of your mouth requires healthy gums! Choosing a gum specialist means finding a professional that can treat more than issues with your teeth. Here’s what you need to do when searching for the best periodontist.
1. Check Their Certifications
Never settle for a periodontist without the right credentials. Your periodontist should be board certified and a member of legitimate professional organizations like the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Periodontology.
These associations help promote the best practices for dental and periodontal professionals. A periodontist with the right membership affiliations has made a commitment to excellent patient care and staying updated on the best and latest treatment options.
2. Confirm Their Experience
While a new periodontist right out of school probably has the right skills, you might prefer a dental professional with more years of experience under their belt.
Choose a periodontist that has seen a variety of issues that can affect gums—and has a track record of successfully treating patients with gum disease and other issues.
You don’t want a doctor who sees you on their first day on the job. Talk with friends and family and seek referrals for an experienced local periodontist for the best chance at effective treatment options.
3. Ask About Technology
Out-of-date treatments for gum diseases can be ineffective, painful, and expensive. There’s no need to settle for archaic methods of treating gum disease when searching for the right periodontist.
Ask about the technology they use to treat gum issues. Are they up-to-date with current techniques and treatments? Do they offer laser gum treatments? The best periodontists pursue continuing education to learn about new developments in the treatment of gum-related issues.
If a dental professional can treat you safely with less pain and quicker recovery time because they use the latest and best-recommended treatment options, you might have found your ideal periodontist!
4. Make Sure They Have Availability
Finding an excellent periodontist who can’t fit you into your schedule doesn’t do you any good. The longer you go without treatment for the signs and symptoms of gum disease or other dental issues, the more you suffer. You also risk irreversible conditions when delaying treatment.
An excellent periodontist has room for you in their schedule. A busy office is a good sign that you’ve found an excellent dental professional. However, “too busy” is a sign to find another periodontist with availability.
Periodontics is a critical part of improving a patient’s overall health. Gum disease can affect your ability to consume the nutrients you need to stay healthy. Problems with your gums can also indicate other serious health issues.
Don’t wait for the “right” periodontist to have time for you. Choose a dental professional who recognizes the urgency of your need and prioritizes your treatment.
5. Ask About Pain Management
Gum issues can be very painful. The treatment options can also be painful immediately following oral surgery and throughout recovery.
Your periodontist should also have the training to recommend the right pain management options for you. During your initial exam, they should take a complete medical history. Learning about your overall health, history, and how you tolerate medications will help your periodontist manage your pain in the way that works best for you.
Ensuring that you heal correctly from oral surgery or other periodontic treatments includes a proper pain management plan that keeps you safe and minimizes discomfort.
6. Find Out About Payment Options
Oral surgery can be expensive. Depending on the severity of your gum issues, your periodontist can recommend several procedures, including:
- Scaling and root planing
- Tissue regeneration
- Pocket elimination surgery
- Dental implants
Before committing to your treatment plan, ask about specials or payment plans. Any of these treatments can be expensive, and many dental insurance plans don’t cover these oral surgeries or gum treatments.
7. Make Sure They Offer More Than Surgeries
The best periodontal professionals take a holistic approach to gum health. While they might first see you as a patient in need of treatment for gum disease or other issues, your periodontist should also help you with ongoing gum health.
Their office shouldn’t be a revolving door of dental surgery patients. When searching for the right periodontist, ask about their approach to gum health. They should offer services and guidance, including:
- How to prevent gum disease
- How to brush your teeth and prioritize the health of your mouth
- Tips on recovering from oral surgery and protecting your gums
- Information about foods or behaviors that can cause your gums to deteriorate
- Tips about how to recognize a recurrence of gum problems
The best periodontists make a long-term commitment to the health of your gums—and they help you maintain that commitment, too. Periodontics is as much about educating patients and helping prevent serious gum problems as it is about treating problems after they occur.
Find a Periodontist Who Cares About Your Gum Health
Choosing a periodontist with enough experience and the right credentials is critical. It’s also essential to find a periodontist who cares about your gum health!
When your gums are healthy, you live a healthier and happier life! We prioritize our patients’ comfort and education to promote better gum health. We also offer a variety of treatment options to improve the condition of your gums.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of gum disease, contact us for a free consultation!
