second opinion

Thank you for your advice about a second opinion.  I went to a prosthodontist yesterday and he said if I had a four tooth bridge with the leading tooth being the bottom middle tooth in my mouth, it would probably not hold up.  This tooth is small and already has a root canal in it.  Another $4,000 wasted probably.  His suggestion was to see a periodontist due to my advanced periodontal disease.  I'm just so afraid to go through all that scaling etc. due the bad experiences I've had in the past.  I'm considering having the infected teeth pulled and a partial plate made.  Why does scaling have to be so painful with no guarantee it will work?

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

I don't think that the scaling needs to be that painful. There are ways to make you more than comfortable and the dentist or hygienst need to explore the methods to make it tolerable for you.Periodontal disease is just what it states a disease process.In any disease there are no guarantees. There are distinct methods to make the disease contained and the scaling and home care are very important in helping you.I think you are on the right path.