If you are suffering from gum disease, cleaning of the periodontal pockets—the space between your gums and your tooth roots—is essential to recovery. In a patient with gum disease, the periodontal pockets deepen and provide homes for harmful bacteria which infect the gum tissue and damage the teeth. In some cases, surgery has been the method of choice for treating gum disease; but the Silberg Center for Dental Science now offers an alternative in the form of perioscopy.
A perioscope is a tiny camera attached to the end of a dental probe. The perioscope can be inserted below the gumline to allow your dentist to see inside your periodontal pockets, assessing and treating your gum disease without the need for surgery. A perioscope offers up to 48 times magnification, providing a clear view of details that might otherwise be missed. Using a perioscope allows Dr. Silberg to clean your periodontal pockets thoroughly, giving your gums the chance to heal.
What are the advantages of perioscopy?
–Visibility: The use of a perioscope allows Dr. Silberg to examine the inside of your periodontal pockets, an area which is normally invisible without surgery.
–Magnification: The magnifying power of the perioscope allows examination at a level of minute detail that was previously impossible, making flaws, cracks, perforations, and accumulations of bacteria visible.
–Avoid surgery: While other treatments for advanced gum disease often require surgical solutions, perioscopy can in many cases eliminate that need and allow treatment without the pain and inconvenience of surgery.
–Quick and thorough: Treatment using a perioscope can usually be completed in one to two hours, only slightly longer than an ordinary dental checkup.
–Cost effective: Perioscopy generally costs the same or less than surgery to treat the same condition.
–Little pain: Our patients report little or no discomfort even when being treated without anesthesia.
The next step in the treatment of gum disease
Perioscopy represents the most recent advancement in the treatment of periodontitis. At the Silberg Center, we are excited to be able to offer you this new procedure. If you believe you may be suffering from gum disease or have other concerns about your teeth, please call our office today or request an appointment online with Dr. Silberg.
