Reliable Periodontal Evaluation in Durango, CO
Our initial periodontal examination is state of the art and is a key tool in determining the level of periodontal health. We understand that gum health can affect your overall health, with recent research showing a link between gum disease and certain health conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, pulmonary problems, diabetes, low pre-term birth weights, Alzheimer disease and certain types of cancer.
There are many more health issues that the medical profession has not yet discovered linking the bugs in your mouth to the disease process or the aging process of your body. As Dr. Rothchild’s team, we have advanced our non-surgical approach to periodontal care by going back to school, studying the cutting edge techniques that will provide you with the optimal non-surgical periodontal treatment.
Our examination by one of our qualified hygienists consists of:
- Visual Evaluation of Gingival Tissue: Including tone, color and level of connective tissue.
- Bleeding Upon Probing: healthy tissue does not bleed.
- Periodontal Charting: This determines the depth of the space between the tooth and the gum tissue. Each tooth has 6 recorded measurements ranging from 1-12 millimeters. A healthy measurement is 2-3mm.
- Microbiological Evaluation: Our office utilizes a phase contrast microscope. With this technology, samples of crevicular fluid from the pocket space are evaluated for numerous types of bacteria. This enables us to discriminate between healthy and destructive bacteria, as well as, the detection of parasites.
- Microbiological Culturing: if our evaluation reveals significant disease, we can culture the bacteria and send it for laboratory evaluation. They inform us of the exact strains of bacteria, enabling Dr. Rothchild to determine the appropriate course of treatment.