Many PM&R physicians choose to pursue additional advanced degrees (MS, PhD) or complete fellowship training in a specific area of the specialty. Fellowships are available for specialized study in such areas as musculoskeletal rehabilitation, pediatrics, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and sports medicine.
If you have advanced periodontitis, your gum tissue may not respond to nonsurgical treatments and good oral hygiene. In that case, periodontitis treatment may require dental surgery, such as: 1  Flap surgery (pocket reduction surgery).2  In this procedure, your periodontist makes tiny incisions in your gum so that a section of gum tissue can be lifted back, exposing the roots for more effective scaling and root planing. Because periodontitis often causes bone loss, the underlying bone may be recontoured before the gum tissue is sutured back in place. 2  After you heal, it's easier to clean these areas and maintain healthy gum tissue. 3  Soft tissue grafts.
Treating Periodontal Disease â What to Expect. Behavior Change: One of the first things your dentist will recommend as a part of treatment for periodontal disease is a behavior change on your part. Since dental plaque is the main cause of periodontal disease, its removal on a daily basis is essential.