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Periodontal Evaluation in Lexington, SC
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Bleeding gums after brushing might seem minor, but it is often the first sign of a disease that progresses quietly for years. Many people assume gum problems will announce themselves clearly, so they wait until pain or the feeling of looseness sets in before seeking care, and by then the disease has often reached a moderate or advanced stage.
At Lexington Family Smiles, we built our periodontal evaluations around early detection, because catching gum disease before it progresses gives you far more treatment options and a much better long-term outcome. Below, we walk through what a periodontal evaluation involves, what your results mean, and what happens next based on our findings.
What Happens During a Periodontal Evaluation
A periodontal evaluation is a focused look at the health of your gums and the bone that supports your teeth. It goes beyond a standard cleaning to measure changes that are not visible to the naked eye.
Gum Probing
We use a small, calibrated instrument called a periodontal probe to measure the space between your tooth and gum tissue at several points around each tooth. Healthy gums typically measure 1 to 3 millimeters. Deeper measurements can indicate that bacteria have created a pocket where they continue to cause damage below the gumline.
Digital X-Rays
Our digital X-ray sensors let us evaluate the bone level around your teeth and check for bone loss that probing alone cannot reveal. This step matters because bone loss is often the clearest indicator of how far periodontal disease has progressed, and it helps us track any changes over time with less radiation than older film-based X-rays.
Health History Review
We also review your overall health history, since conditions such as diabetes, certain medications, and smoking can all affect your gum health. This context helps us understand your risk factors and tailor a plan to your situation rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.
What Your Results Indicate
Once we finish measuring, X-raying, and reviewing your history, we can tell you where your gum health currently stands. The results generally fall into a few categories that reflect how much the disease has progressed and how it should be managed going forward.
Healthy gums show shallow probing depths, minimal bleeding, and stable bone levels on X-rays. Early inflammation, known as gingivitis, causes redness, swelling, and bleeding but has not yet affected the bone. More advanced findings point toward periodontitis, where the supporting bone and tissue have started to break down. According to the NIH’s National Library of Medicine, more than 42 percent of adults older than 30 have some form of gum disease, and almost 8 percent have severe periodontal disease.
The Stages of Gum Disease
Understanding where you fall on this spectrum helps explain why we recommend the treatment we do. Gum disease tends to move through the following recognizable stages if it goes unaddressed:
- Gingivitis: The earliest stage, marked by red, swollen, or bleeding gums, is generally reversible with improved home care and a professional cleaning.
- Early to moderate periodontitis: Pockets deepen, and some bone loss becomes visible on X-ray, often without noticeable pain.
- Advanced periodontitis: Significant bone loss can lead to loose teeth, gum recession, and an increased risk of tooth loss if left untreated.
Many patients move through the first two stages without realizing anything is wrong, since gum disease rarely causes pain until it becomes moderate or severe. This is exactly why a periodontal evaluation matters even when your mouth feels fine.
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What Happens Next Depending on Your Findings
Your next steps depend entirely on what we find during your evaluation. If your gums are healthy or show only mild inflammation, a professional dental cleaning paired with improved brushing and flossing habits may be all you need. We may also recommend a shorter interval between dental exams to monitor any changes closely.
If your evaluation shows signs of periodontitis, our standard recommendation is typically scaling and root planing, a deeper cleaning that removes plaque and bacteria from below the gumline and smooths the tooth root to help gum tissue reattach. Patients with more advanced or recurring gum disease benefit from a periodontal maintenance schedule, which involves more frequent visits than a standard cleaning to prevent the disease from progressing.
We are also able to help through our Dental Savings Plan, which includes an add-on option for periodontal patients, or through financing options such as CareCredit, Cherry, and Sunbit for treatment that falls outside your insurance coverage.
Schedule Your Periodontal Evaluation at Lexington Family Smiles
A periodontal evaluation is a simple, comfortable appointment that can tell you far more about your oral health than you might expect. Because gum disease often develops without warning signs, we recommend incorporating this evaluation into your regular dental visits rather than waiting for symptoms such as bleeding, swelling, or loosening to appear on their own.
Whether it has been a while since your last checkup or you are due for your next routine visit, our team is ready to walk you through every step of the process and answer any questions you have along the way. Contact our office today to schedule your appointment and experience comprehensive, compassionate general and preventive dentistry right here in Lexington, SC.
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- 2001 Augusta Highway, Suite A, Lexington, SC 29072
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