There are many types and specialties of dentistry. Most understand that periodontists, such as myself, treat periodontal disease or what is often called gum disease. This involves oral infections that destroy the bone that surrounds and supports the teeth. Today this definition has been expanded to include peri-implant disease since the bacteria that live in the mouth and cause this infection can also damage the bone that supports and retains dental implants.
So controlling periodontal infection provides a healthy environment in your mouth and provides your general dentist with a work environment free of infection and inflammation. Often periodontists will alternate cleaning visits with your general dentist at an interval that has been determined by both dentists to be best for maintaining your mouth in a healthy condition. Based on special training and years of experience, your periodontist looks at your teeth from a slightly different perspective than your general dentist. In this way, you get the benefit of two practitioners, each with their own expertise, keeping a watchful eye on your dental health.
For example, sometimes decay grows down the tooth to a place under the gum line where your general dentist cannot clean it out properly before placing a filling. In the same way, sometimes teeth crack. If the fracture extends below the gum line, your general dentist will have the same problem. In a case like this, your general dentist can send you to your periodontist for a "crown lengthening" procedure. The periodontist will carefully remove a small amount of bone and then lower the gum, so the full extent of the damage is visible and accessible to the general dentist. In this way, the tooth can be properly cleaned, prepared, and restored.
Another use of this crown lengthening procedure is for cosmetic correction. Teeth that are very short and square or too long are usually considered less desirable. The periodontist can restore a tooth to its proper and pleasing length and proportion by carefully moving gum tissue. Then the general dentist can improve the color and contour for a beautiful result.
As you can see, by working together and combining their knowledge and skill, your periodontist and general dentist can ensure that you have a healthy, comfortable, and attractive smile for a lifetime.