When A Dentist Does Not Diagnose And Treat Periodontal Disease, It Is Medical Malpractice

Periodontal disease is a very powerful disease.  It is a type of gum disease which results in the loss of support of the tooth or teeth held by the gums.  It is a progressive inflammation of the gums and the bone (jaw bone) surrounding the tooth or teeth.  Because of this inflammation around the gums, the teeth may become loose and painful.  The gum tissue around the tooth or teeth can become very swollen.  This can result in infections, a bad taste in one’s mouth, and bad breath.  Periodontal disease can also affect the bone and infect the bone, which can result in bone loss or bone infections.  In the head and face, a bone infection is a very serious issue which can quickly become irreversible and result in death.

However, despite how devastating and powerful periodontal disease is, it can easily be treated with a mere proper cleaning and a prescription mouthwash.  That is right—something so destructive can be stopped with a little extra cleaning and mouthwash.  Mouthwash!

This is why all dentists are obligated to look for the signs of periodontal disease when treating a patient.  The signs can be charted and tracked to ensure that progression is being monitored and taken care of.  The longer periodontal disease is left untreated, the more damaging it will become and the more difficult it will be to cure and prevent.

While the early treatment is just a thorough cleaning and prescription mouthwash, as the disease progresses so does the treatment.  Some more advanced treatment requires scraping away the plaque and deposits below the gum line and antibiotics.  Even more significant treatment includes opening the gums up and cutting away dead tissue or even having to do a bone graft to get new bone to grow.  Of course untreated periodontal disease can result in loss of teeth, jaw bone damage, nerve damage, and even death.

But what do you think?  I would love to hear from you!  Leave a comment or I also welcome your phone call on my toll-free cell at 1-866-889-6882 or you can drop me an e-mail at jfisher@fishermalpracticelaw.com.  You are always welcome to request my FREE book, The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims, at the home page of my website at www.protectingpatientrights.com.