*Brookfield 262-787-9075 *Shorewood 414-964-5400

Thomas C Kelley, DDS, MSD, LLC

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Brookfield (262) 787-9075

Shorewood (414) 964-5400

Don't Ignore Your Oral Health

If you value your oral as well as your overall health, a periodontal evaluation is a good idea. Sometimes the only way to detect periodontal disease is through a periodontal evaluation. A periodontal evaluation may be especially important if you:

* Notice any symptoms of periodontal disease.

* Have heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease or osteoporosis.

* Are thinking of becoming pregnant.

* Have a family member with periodontal disease.

Periodontal bacteria can enter the blood stream and travel to major organs and begin new infections. Research is suggesting that this may:

* Contribute to the development of heart disease, the nation's leading cause of death.

* Increase the risk of stroke.

* Increase a woman's risk of having a preterm, low birth weight baby.

* Pose a serious threat to people whose health is compromised by diabetes, respiratory diseases, or osteoporosis.

Research suggests that the bacteria that cause periodontal disease can pass through saliva. This means the common contact of saliva in families puts children and couples at risk for contracting the periodontal disease of another family member.

* Have a sore or irritation in your mouth that does not get better within two weeks.

AAP treatment guidelines stress that periodontal health should be achieved in the least invasive and most cost-effective manner. This is often accomplished through non-surgical periodontal treatment, including scaling and root planing followed by adjunctive therapy such as local delivery antimicrobials and host modulation, as needed on a case-by-case basis.

Most periodontists agree that after scaling and root planing, patients do not require any further active treatment, including surgical therapy. However, the majority of patients will require ongoing maintenance therapy to sustain health. Non-surgical therapy does have its limitations, however, and when it does not achieve periodontal health, surgery may be indicated to restore periodontal anatomy damaged by periodontal diseases and to facilitate oral hygiene practices.

If a patient is diagnosed with periodontal disease, a periodontist may recommend periodontal surgery. Periodontal surgery is necessary when a periodontist determines that the tissue around your teeth is unhealthy and cannot be repaired with non-surgical treatment.

If you require surgery and live in another state, country or are planning to go on vacation, please allow time for the required post-operative appointments, which are an important part of your treatment and are mandatory.

If you are planning to get pregnant or are pregnant, surgery will not be perfomed until after delivery.