Periodontist Meaning: What a Periodontist Does

The word comes from the Greek for around the tooth. In India the specialty is called Periodontology and the degree is an MDS taken after the BDS. It is one of the branches described in our guide to the types of dentists.

A general dentist also looks after gums as part of routine care, including cleaning and early gum disease. A periodontist concentrates on the harder end of that work.

Periodontists treat advanced gum disease, where bone around the teeth is being lost, and teeth that have become loose because of it. They carry out deep cleaning below the gum line, gum surgery, and procedures to rebuild lost support in suitable cases.

They also treat gum recession, including gum grafting to cover exposed roots, reshape gum for appearance, and many manage the gum and bone side of dental implants. The earlier stages are described in our stages of gum disease guide.

Early gum disease (gingivitis) and most mild to moderate periodontitis are handled routinely by a general dentist with scaling and home-care advice, as described in the deep cleaning guide. Referral is usually considered when disease keeps progressing despite treatment, when pockets are deep, when teeth are loosening, when a graft or gum surgery is needed, or when gum disease is mixed with other health factors.

A referral is not a sign that your dentist cannot help. It means your case would benefit from someone who does this work every day. For a general overview of care for the gums, see gum treatment.

Ask for the degree, which should be an MDS in Periodontology, and the State Dental Council registration number. Registration is public record. A dentist who simply focuses on gum cases is not a periodontist unless they hold the MDS.