According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about half of adults age 30 and over have some form of periodontal (gum) disease, and many of them don’t know it. And prevalence increases as people get older, with about 70% of adults age 65 and over having periodontitis, the more serious form of periodontal disease.
The bad news about periodontal disease is that it leads to the eventual loss of your teeth. In fact, by far most adult tooth loss is due to periodontal disease, not tooth decay. The good news is that in many cases it is preventable. That’s why Dr. Szarek makes periodontal screenings an important part of your regular examinations and we emphasize patient education and disease prevention. We want you to keep your natural teeth all your life.
Did you know that when you have gum disease you should have what is called a deep cleaning, rather than a routine cleaning? Many dental offices overlook that because it is extra trouble to fit those different types of cleanings into the schedule, and it is also more trouble to get patients to appreciate periodontal treatment because the effects aren’t usually apparent for many years. But Dr. Szarek believes that this is an important part of your treatment.
Preventing Big Problems by Tending to Small Ones
Another expression of our philosophy of prevention is in trying to be as thorough as we can with your examinations. Small cavities, unattended, will always grow into big ones. Other problems, if caught early, can be much simpler to treat.
Keeping Your Natural Teeth
Whenever possible, Dr. Szarek tries to save your own natural teeth rather than go to tooth replacements. Along with that, he tries to conserve natural tooth structure with more conservative restorations whenever that is feasible.