During your checkup, Dr. Berdy
will examine your mouth to assess the overall health and stability of
your teeth, gums, and surrounding areas including the muscles supporting
your teeth, jaw joints, and tongue. He will review your current x-rays
and then present his findings to you. A screening for oral cancer can also be performed at this time.
When
examining your mouth an instrument called a periodontal probe is used
to assess the health and quality of your gums and tooth attachments. The
periodontal
probe is used to measure the pocket depth, or collar of gum tissue that
surrounds the tooth. Normal pocket depths are in the range of 1-3mm.
A
microscope evaluation using a phase contrast microscope may be done.
This enables us to determine the types of bone destroying bacteria that
may be present and the extent of your infection to the surrounding
areas. A sampling of the bacteria in the area of an infection may be
sent off for further analysis to aid in our determination of an
appropriate periodontal therapy. A DNA analysis may also be done to
assess susceptibility to periodontal diseases.
