The distinction between a general dentist and a periodontist often causes confusion for patients seeking oral healthcare. Both professionals are doctors of dental surgery (DDS) or dental medicine (DMD), but they operate with fundamentally different scopes of practice. A periodontist is a specialized dentist who pursues extensive postgraduate education to focus exclusively on the structures supporting the teeth. Understanding the differences in their training and treatment focus is helpful for knowing when to seek general care versus specialized intervention.
The Scope of General Dentistry
The general dentist functions as the primary care provider for all aspects of a patient’s oral health. Their educational path involves four years of dental school following undergraduate studies, preparing them for a broad range of procedures. This training covers the diagnosis, treatment, management, and coordination of services for patients of all ages.
Preventative care forms a significant portion of a general dentist’s practice, including routine checkups, professional cleanings, and oral cancer screenings. They educate patients on proper hygiene techniques and apply protective treatments like fluoride and dental sealants. When damage occurs, the general dentist performs restorative procedures, such as placing fillings, fabricating basic crowns, and constructing fixed or removable bridges. They also manage early-stage gum inflammation, known as gingivitis, typically treating it with routine cleanings.
Specialized Training and Focus of a Periodontist
A periodontist completes four years of general dental school, followed by an additional three years of intensive, full-time residency training. This postgraduate program is dedicated entirely to the periodontium, the tissues that anchor the teeth within the jaw. Their curriculum provides deep biological and surgical knowledge focused on the gums (gingiva), the cementum, the alveolar bone, and the periodontal ligament.
This specialized training emphasizes the pathology, diagnosis, and advanced management of diseases affecting these supporting structures. The residency includes extensive clinical experience with surgical techniques and complex case management. Consequently, the periodontist’s expertise is deeply focused on preserving the foundation of the teeth and the surrounding bone. They manage the interplay between systemic diseases, such as diabetes, and their effects on oral health.
Distinct Conditions and Procedures Treated
The necessity of seeing a periodontist typically arises when a patient is diagnosed with moderate to severe periodontitis, a chronic bacterial infection causing loss of attachment between the tooth and the bone. In these advanced cases, the periodontist takes over from the general dentist to manage the disease progression. A key diagnostic step involves measuring the depth of periodontal pockets around the teeth, which deepen as the infection destroys supporting tissue.
Periodontists perform non-surgical procedures like advanced deep scaling and root planing to remove hardened deposits and smooth the root surfaces beneath the gum line. When non-surgical methods are insufficient, they use surgical interventions, such as gingival flap surgery, to reduce pocket depth and clean the root surface directly. They regularly perform reconstructive procedures, including bone grafting to reverse jawbone loss and soft tissue grafting to repair gum recession. Periodontists are also trained in the surgical placement of dental implants, which requires precise management of both soft and hard tissues for a successful outcome.