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.
This specialty training has granted periodontists expertise in the treatment of gums and other teeth supporting structures. If your periodontist discovers that you have periodontal disease, he or she has access to both surgical procedures and non-surgical procedures to best treat your condition. Surgical procedures include contouring of your teeth or gums, and work that regenerates your teeth's supporting bones. Common non-surgical procedures are scaling and root planing. Periodontists truly have a well-rounded arsenal in the fight against periodontal disease! Taking the necessary steps to care for your teeth and gums by brushing and flossing, as well as regular preventative care at a general dentist, can prevent often costly trips to periodontists.