In preparation for her oral health career, Dr. Kathryn Philpott-Hill secured her doctor of dental surgery (DDS) from the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry. Dr. Kathryn Philpott-Hill operated her own private dental practice in Sylva, North Carolina, where she used diagnostic tools like X-rays to search for signs of tooth decay. X-rays are a type of radiation capable of penetrating the tissues of the body. When delivered in small doses as part of a diagnostic procedure, X-rays can produce vivid pictures of the body’s internal structures, including that of the bones and teeth.Dentists rely on X-rays to diagnose a variety of different oral health problems. For example, bitewing X-rays permit dentists to check for tooth decay in the area between teeth as well as for signs of bone depletion caused by advanced gum disease. Experts recommend that adults without an elevated risk of tooth decay undergo a bitewing X-ray once every 24 to 36 months. The recommendations also suggest that teens undergo the procedure one every 18 to 36 months and that children should undergo it once every 12 to 24 months. Other types of dental X-rays include panoramic X-rays, which take images of the whole mouth, and periapical X-rays, which take images of individual teeth.
Kathryn Philpott-Hill, DDS, maintained an independent dental practice in Sylva, North Carolina, from 1996 through 2008. During that time, Dr. Kathryn Philpott-Hill treated many patients’ gum disease in varying stages of advancement.Gum disease occurs when infectious bacteria in the mouth cause inflammation of the periodontal tissue. Infection usually begins with redness and swelling of the periodontal tissue, which becomes prone to bleeding. Known as gingivitis, this stage of disease is fully reversible, given timely professional intervention and at-home hygiene.If left untreated, however, gingivitis may develop into periodontitis. This occurs when plaque begins to grow below the gum line, where it breaks down the bone and soft tissue that support the teeth. Bone loss becomes increasingly severe as the disease progresses through its early and moderate stages.For most patients, periodontitis develops as chronic disease, which progresses relatively slowly and symmetrically across the mouth. Professional treatment and advanced home hygiene may further slow the progression and prevent tooth loss. For others, however, varying forms of bacteria and systemic immune deficiencies lead to more rapid and cyclical progression, which is more difficult to control.Patients with non-chronic gum disease may be more prone to advanced periodontitis, which affects approximately 10 to 15 percent of patients whose disease progresses beyond gingivitis. For those whose disease does reach this advanced form, the decomposition of supportive bone becomes increasingly severe and may result in tooth loss.
