It’s important to diagnose periodontal disease as early as possible.  Even the early and mild forms of periodontal disease can rapidly progress into the more severe forms that require surgery. Periodontal disease is diagnosed during your exam with one of our top Chicago dentists, which will include the following: Checking your dental and medical history Certain lifestyle choices and health issues can contribute to a risk of periodontal disease.  So it’s important to let your dentist know your full health and medical history, along with your lifestyle choices. - Smoking or tobacco use - Medical conditions such as diabetes or AIDS - Some prescription medications that cause decreased salivary flow (such as antidepressants or high blood pressure medicines)  - Familial predisposition or genetic susceptibility Examining your mouth One of our top Chicago dentists will examine your mouth and check the gums for any sign of inflammation or disease. They are looking for any visible signs like redness, tenderness or soreness, bleeding upon probing or without, and receding gums or teeth that appear longer.  They will also ask you about bad breath that does not go away, loosening or sensitive teeth, and any issues with chewing or biting.   “Probing” for pockets Then one of our top Chicago dentists will use a dental probe to check for and measure the depth of the space (pockets or sulcus) around your teeth. A healthy sulcus is 3 millimeters or less and does not bleed. A periodontal pocket is formed when tartar and plaque continually accumulate on the teeth surfaces and the toxins soon deepen the pocket around the teeth. This pocket acts as a hideout for tartar and dental deposit build-up, thereby worsening the symptoms of periodontitis and may soon affect the bones that support the teeth in the absence of proper dental intervention. The dentist will then determine if you have periodontal disease and grade it based on the size of the space, if and how much your gums bleed, and how mobile your teeth may be.   Taking a dental x-ray In most cases if the dentist suspects or diagnoses periodontal disease, they’ll order an x-ray to determine the level of bone loss.   Since bone loss isn’t visible to the naked eye and can happen despite normal appearing gum tissue, x-rays are instrumental in diagnosing the extent of periodontal disease.