Periodontal Disease Diagnosis

Gum Disease Diagnosis – Serving Dentistry Patients in Madison and Sun Prairie

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.

A periodontal probe (small dental instrument) is gently used to measure the sulcus (pocket or space) between the tooth and the gums. The depth of a 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 dental hygienist will use pocket depths, amount of bleeding, inflammation, tooth mobility and more to make a diagnosis that will fall into one of the categories below:

Gingivitis

Gingivitis is the first stage of periodontal disease. Plaque and its toxic bi-products irritate the gums, making them tender, inflamed, and likely to bleed.

Periodontitis

Plaque hardens into calculus (tartar). As calculus and plaque continue to build up, the gums begin to recede from the teeth. Deeper pockets form between the gums and teeth and become filled with bacteria and pus. The gums become very irritated, inflamed, and bleed easily. Slight to moderate bone loss may also occur.

Advanced Periodontitis

The teeth lose more support as the gums, bone, and periodontal ligament continue to be destroyed. Unless treated, the affected teeth will become very loose and may be lost. At this stage, moderate to severe bone loss may also be present.

Our team, led by Dr. Amstadt and Dr. Lotowski, are all highly talented dental professionals who use the most advanced techniques and technologies in cosmetic dentistry to provide patients with beautifying procedures, including dentures, dental implants and more. We are proud to be considered one of the most highly skilled dental practitioners in Wisconsin. Several sedation dentistry methods are offered at our dental office for patients who wish to alleviate anxiety and discomfort commonly associated with dental procedures.

Call us at 608-834-6321or contact us online.
Wisconsin Dental Solutions provides "Dental Solutions for Extraordinary Needs."

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Holiday Break 12/21/22 - 01/02/23

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