Periodontology
Periodontology is this part of dentistry that deals with periodontal diseases. This is the supporting structure of the teeth that includes the gums, the alveolar bone and the connective tissue located between them. The symptoms complained by patients with periodontitis are most often bleeding, swelling and pain of the gums, bad breath, retention of food between the teeth and mobility of the teeth. The treatment of gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and periodontitis (inflammation of the periodontium) requires active care by the patient. The treatment passes in several phases. The initial one is aimed at overcoming the inflammation in the oral cavity. This phase includes cleaning and polishing the teeth, curing the caries and its complications, and extraction of teeth beyond repair. The second, corrective phase is associated with periodontal surgery. This phase can be resective, regenerative and mucogingival. The resective procedure consists in the removal of excess inflamed soft tissue (gingivectomy, gingivoplasty) or hard tissue (osteotomy, osteoplasty). Regenerative procedure is the grafting of a bone replacement material in areas where there are indications for tissue regeneration. Mucogingival surgery is the treatment of recessive (receding) gums by grafting tissues (most often from the palate) into the deficit area. After conducting the periodontal surgery and successful quiescence of the disease, the prosthetic phase starts. This phase involves placing crowns, bridges, dentures or implants. The final stage of treatment is the maintenance phase, which is expressed in individually scheduled maintenance visits to clean the teeth and re-evaluate the disease.