Dentists and Periodontal Problems

In dentistry, cavities are important but they aren't the whole story; what happens to your gums is every bit as vital to your dental health. When you don't floss regularly to keep plaque from forming on your teeth and gums, the gums will slowly deteriorate. Dentists called periodontists specialize in the treatment of periodontal problems, and when the gums have broken down to the point where they can't hold the teeth in place a periodontist may need to provide dental implants, a costly and unpleasant process. But even a periodontist can't keep your gums healthy; that job is up to you.

Examples of periodontal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Researchers have shown that viromes can change significantly in periodontal disease and in inflammatory bowel diseases. — David Pride, Scientific American, "Viruses Can Help Us as Well as Harm Us," 7 Dec. 2020 The poll also revealed a 30% rise in periodontal disease and a 27% increase in cavities. — Carolyne Zinko, SFChronicle.com, "Bay Area dentists spot 2020 stress in clenched jaws and cracked teeth," 1 Dec. 2020 Under the rescue's care, she had been diagnosed with heart disease, had a cancerous tumor removed, a hernia treated and had all of her teeth taken out due to periodontal disease. — Claudia Harmata, PEOPLE.com, "Toothless Chihuahua Comforts Scared Patients at California Dentist Office," 16 Sep. 2020 The nonprofit invested thousands of dollars in Kismet, who was diagnosed with heart disease, had a cancerous tumor removed, a hernia treated and had all of her teeth extracted due to periodontal disease. — Alaa Elassar, CNN, "This toothless Chihuahua is comforting scared patients at a California dentist office," 12 Sep. 2020 But gum disease, especially the more advanced type known as periodontal disease, can affect far more than our mouths. — Katie Hunt, CNN, "Gum health could be a risk factor for dementia, study suggests," 29 July 2020 On Friday, volunteer dental veterinarians and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium staff gathered to work on Kirana the Sumatran tiger, who needed to have a complicated crown-root fracture and a periodontal defect tended to. — Alan Berner, The Seattle Times, "How do you perform dental work on a tiger? Very carefully.," 16 Aug. 2019 Other than a few bacteria associated with periodontal disease, the microbes in Lola’s mouth were harmless, and that’s still the case for modern people. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Ancient “chewing gum” contains a 5,700-year-old genome," 13 Feb. 2020 Both dogs and cats need their teeth brushed and regular dental care to prevent periodontal disease. — Cathy M. Rosenthal, ExpressNews.com, "Cathy Rosenthal: Dental care an important part of pet’s overall health," 31 Jan. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'periodontal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.