Here copy of my latest blog entry on my MSN Space. You will also find
there 20 links to websites about Periodontitis including a lot of infos
about Periscopy. here the link:  http://spaces.msn.com/stevehaite

The Tooth Truth

Who would ever have thought that I would write a blog entry about
teeth?! Ah well the times change and I want to share my interesting
experience and warn the world. What happened exactly?

My teeth have never been in very good condition and I do have
periodontitis and deep pockets on some of them but my previous dentist
and his dental hygienist in Switzerland treated them twice a year and
seemed to be holding the situation in check.

At my first visit to my new general dentist here in the US I was told
that things did not look good, that at least 6 teeth (4 right top, and
2 front bottom) needed to be removed and that saving the others was no
mean feat.

I started to research periodontitis on the web and at my next
appointment my denist suggested sending me to an specialist e.g. a
periodontist. By coincidence it was possible the same day due to a
cancellation and the specialist spent 3 hours examining me, explaining
his conclusions and proposing the next steps. In summary all of my
teeth need to be removed, periodontitis could in addition endanger my
heart (due to high CPR level) and shorten my life expectancy by 7-15
years and I will need implants, a bone graft and sinus rebuilding plus
a prothesis top and bottom - estimated costs approximately $80,000. My
now I was in a traumatic state and almost willing to capitulate.

Fortunately I had received a couple of interesting URLs from my
relocation specialist, and one of them was a dental hygienist who had
teamed up with a dentist and an oral surgeon and was one of the top
experts in the US at periscopy and "Non-surgical and Preventative
Periodontal Therapy". Perioscopy makes use of a technology similar to
the orthoscopic and endoscopic procedures used in medicine for many
years. The Dental Endoscope, or Perioscope™ is an extremely tiny
fiber optic camera that can go up to 14 mm beneath the gum line--a
place where no dental professional has been able to see before.

The team concluded that yes I did have to loose 6 teeth (top right at
back) but that the majority of the other teeth could be saved for many
years; there were a few where the outlook is unsure. The basic
combination of treatment suggested is as follows:

1.      enzyme suppressor tablets

2.      periscopy

3.      emdogain

4.      quarterly PMP

5.      rigorous personal dental hygiene

6.      combined with immediate removal of the 6 teeth and bridge top
right

7.      combined with the potential later removal of teeth which cannot
be rescued

My objectives/priorities in solving this problem are very clearly as
follows:

1.      avoid general health problems

I want to keep (more of) my teeth for as long as possible but NOT if it
means risking high CRP levels which could shorten my life expectancy

2.      keep my teeth as long as sensibly possible

I want to keep (more of) my teeth for as long as possible but NOT if it
compromises future dental strategies e.g. due to continued bone loss
which make a future implants solution difficult, impossible or very
costly or if the future dental hygiene is so difficult that I will not
manager to keep up the level of "periscopy clean" achieved

In sharing this experience I am hoping that maybe someone out there
will read this, will improve his focus on brushing and flossing and
maybe be spared the traumatic experience that I had, not to mention the
time and effort plus the expense which are still to come.

I will keep you updated and check out my list of periodontic web links
on this MSN Space.