Periodontist

Teeth without adequate gum support can become unstable, wobbly, and incredibly painful. But there’s hope for those teeth and gums as long as Periodontists are around. A Periodontist is a Dentist who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases of the gums. As a Periodontist, you often deal with serious, advanced cases of gum disease that Dentists are unable to solve.

When a patient comes to your office, you first examine the X-rays taken by their Dentist. To make a more accurate diagnosis, you may take additional X-rays as well. You then perform an examination, looking closely at the patient’s gums and recording any damage you see.

The patient may be scared or in great pain, requiring you to sedate them or provide pain medication before you begin. You pay close attention to them, watching for curling toes, clenched fists, or sweating, all of which may be signs that they’re in pain, though they may be unable to tell you.

You may perform procedures with drills to remove large amounts of tartar and plaque. You may also pull gum cells from one spot in the patient’s mouth and move them to another spot. Additionally, you may pull their teeth and replace them with implants drilled directly into the patient’s jaw.

Many of these surgeries will require several appointments so the patient can recover between procedures. You remind them that they must come back, and that you won’t hurt them.

You probably own your own business and hire your own staff. You supervise the billing, making sure your company is taking in more money than it is spending. You also work with an advertising agency to increase the number of patients you see. You pose for photo shoots, trying to look both dashing and friendly, and showing off your pearly whites so patients will know the wonders you can do for their teeth.