A tooth that gives slightly when you bite, or a gap that was not there last year, can make you wonder what is happening beneath the gum. For adults travelling from Burlington, a bone-loss assessment checks the gums, suitable images and your history, then explains what we find.
Sometimes the first hint is physical. A lower front tooth feels a touch springy, food starts collecting in a new space, or your bite meets differently. Those changes can have more than one cause, and reduced support around the root is one possibility. A bone-loss assessment examines the gum and bone holding your teeth, alongside appropriate images and your history, to find out.
Even when bone change is confirmed, that phrase does not settle the important details. It says nothing about which teeth are involved, how much support remains, what started it, or what care makes sense. A tooth that moves a little is not automatically a tooth that must go, and the answer often depends on what the surrounding gum and teeth show.
Before a visit from Burlington, jot down when you first felt the change and anything that might have triggered it. Bring earlier images or gum records if you can get them. We will examine the area, explain what we see and what else might help clarify it, and talk through care aimed at keeping the teeth that can reasonably be kept.
Let us know whether the concern began with a feeling, an image or your dental past. We will connect it to what a careful examination finds today.
If a dentist or hygienist pointed to bone levels on an X-ray, ask which teeth were involved and how it relates to the gum examination. The image alone gives only one view. Earlier radiographs of the same area may offer context, though the clinician will explain how reliable such a comparison is.
Describe when you noticed it, whether chewing hurts, and whether there was a knock, a fall or a sports injury first. Resist the urge to test it with your tongue or fingers. The examination helps decide whether this needs prompt care or can be planned step by step.
Bleeding that faded, a deep cleaning you never followed up, treatment that ended when you moved: all of it is useful background. Share what you can and mention anything that made regular visits difficult. We are interested in a workable plan, not in how long it has been.
Gum measurements, images and symptoms only make sense when read together. Feeling no pain does not confirm healthy support, and one weaker tooth does not mean the rest share its outlook.
The assessment can show which teeth need treatment, which need watching and where information is still incomplete. That is far more practical than a general sense that something is wrong. Ask the clinician to point to the findings on your images or on a model until the explanation makes sense to you.
Your first assessment also becomes the yardstick for later visits. The interval for your maintenance appointments should come with a reason, linked to what is being monitored. Once you understand that reason, returning while your teeth feel steady seems less like a routine and more like a check that matters.
Patient information: American Academy of Periodontology — combining clinical and radiographic findings
Ask whether the change is limited to that tooth or appears in several places, and what that means for treatment. If its outlook is less favourable than its neighbours, ask for reasons specific to it. Advice for one tooth should not be applied wholesale to the others.
Today’s records describe the present. Ask what they show and what only a later comparison could tell you. Previous images or measurements help only if they are comparable, and no single visit can promise a precise forecast.
If you are thinking about a bridge, a crown or straightening, ask whether gum stability needs attention first. Find out how each proposed treatment connects to the underlying condition. Laying care out in phases helps you compare effort, appointments and fees.
The records we gather depend on what we are trying to understand. If something is recommended, ask how it will help decide your next step.
We ask about past gum treatment, any teeth lost, the movement you have noticed and what you have heard before. Relevant medical conditions, medicines and tobacco use are discussed too. If useful records sit at another office, ask whether to request them before new ones are taken.
The clinician checks the tissue and may record pocket depths, recession, bleeding and the stability of each tooth. Ask which measurements matter for the tooth you are worried about. Support is judged around the whole tooth, not just at the visible edge of the gum.
Radiographs can show bone levels and other features near the roots. The clinician decides what is warranted and interprets it in light of the examination. Ask what the image leaves out, and don’t assume every bone question calls for a 3D scan.
We explain the diagnosis, which teeth need care and the suggested sequence. Ask whether a specialist assessment might help and what to do while you wait. Before agreeing to later stages, confirm how the response to early care will be judged.
An assessment guides care but does not replace lost bone. Follow the advice matched to your diagnosis, and tell us if something is difficult to do at home.
Ask for a demonstration of how to clean the affected area without pressing on it, plus any gaps or dental work that are hard to reach. Confirm which tools suit you. If a brush or floss catches or hurts, let us know so the routine can be changed.
Ask which visits are active treatment and which are follow-ups to confirm stability. If a periodontist is involved, check who is coordinating and where reviews will happen. Bring outside reports so every recommendation is considered together.
Increased movement, swelling, discomfort or a change in chewing are reasons to contact us. Mention new medications or health changes as well. Do not hold a new symptom until your next maintenance date.
Movement is a reason to look closer, not a verdict. Bring your questions and any records, and we will go through what the examination shows.
Call or book with our Bronte Street practice to discuss a tooth that has shifted, an X-ray finding about bone support, or past gum treatment you want reviewed. We can examine the area and explain a reasonable plan for care or further evaluation.
Diagnosis, the outlook for each tooth, imaging, treatment options, referral and fees are confirmed after assessment. Keeping a tooth or rebuilding lost support cannot be guaranteed beforehand.
