Let’s be honest: nobody dreams of needing a periodontist. But here you are, googling over your lunch period because your gums are unhappy or your dentist mentioned something about “implants.” Suddenly, you need to pick a specialist you’ve never met to poke around in your mouth. 🫤
The good news? Finding the right periodontist in Augusta, Georgia, doesn’t have to feel like a gamble. We’ve got 5 things you’ll want to check before you book that first visit, along with why so many Augusta patients happily land on Parkway Periodontics.
1. Board Certification and Training
First things first: “does gum surgery” and “periodontist” are not the same job description. A true specialist has stacked up some serious extra training beyond dental school, including:
- Dental school (DDS or DMD)—the baseline everyone needs
- An additional 2- to 3-year periodontal residency focused entirely on gums, bone, and implants
- Ongoing continuing education, because science evolves and techniques improve, and a good periodontist knows how important it is to keep learning
At Parkway Periodontics, both doctors bring exactly this kind of pedigree.
Dr. Mears completed his periodontal and implant training at Augusta University and was recognized by the American Academy of Periodontology for outstanding achievement in the field.
Dr. Dent trained through the periodontal residency program at the Medical College of Georgia before opening his Augusta practice. In other words, this isn’t a side gig for either of them. This is the gig and the one they’re passionate about.
2. Range of Services
The best periodontist in the Augusta, GA, area won’t suggest a single treatment and call it a day. Your gums deserve options. And, honestly, the best treatment for you may look different from that for other patients, even with the same doctor.
Look for a practice that offers personalized periodontal treatments, such as:
- Gingivectomy for excess or overgrown gum tissue
- Laser periodontal therapy for a gentler, less invasive path
- Scaling and root planing for catching gum disease early
- Osseous surgery for more advanced cases
A practice that offers the full lineup means you’re not getting bounced to a different office mid-treatment or stuck with the only option they happen to provide. Parkway covers all four—along with cosmetics and dental implants—so your plan gets built around your actual diagnosis and needs, not around what one doctor knows how to do.
3. Patient Reviews and Outcomes
With the advent of the internet, whether you’re searching for new socks, a new computer, or the right periodontist, what’s the one thing you do before you buy? Look at the reviews, right? (What did we do before the internet?)
Reviews on periodontists often tell you what a visit is really like, how you’ll be treated, and whether someone comfortably returns after their first visit. That’s good information to have before you walk through the door.
When you’re choosing a periodontist in Augusta, reviews can help you discover:
- Pain management and comfort during treatment
- Whether reviewers felt rushed or truly looked after
- How the office handles follow-up and healing check-ins
- Whether nervous or anxious patients were put at ease
This is the category where Parkway Periodontics really shines with 590+ reviews and counting and a 4.9-star average. (Those kinds of numbers can’t be faked.)
Patients describe the office as family-oriented, say the team actually listens instead of clock-watching, and—perhaps the highest compliment of all—mention that even people who dread the dentist walk out feeling “comfortable and relaxed.” Wow! High praise indeed.
When hundreds of strangers keep saying the same nice things, that’s a pattern worth noting.
4. Technology and Techniques
While we do believe the history of periodontics has a solid foundation, a good periodontal specialist in Augusta isn’t doing things the same way they were done in 1995. Look for a practice that leans on modern, minimally invasive methods, such as:
- Laser-assisted therapy for less bleeding, less swelling, and a faster recovery
- Precise osseous surgery (only for the cases that truly call for it)
- A “start gentle, escalate only if needed” philosophy
At Parkway, laser periodontal therapy and refined surgical technique are the norm, not the exception, which means more comfortable visits and less time spent recovering on your couch.
5. Office Environment
You might not ever really think about this one. Perhaps because you believe that all medical offices look about the same. However, the environment actually matters more than people admit. And we’re not just talking about nice art and soothing color palettes. Consider:
- How easy is the office to reach and schedule with?
- How clearly do the front desk and clinical team communicate (nobody likes mystery billing or an indecipherable diagnosis)?
- Does the space feel calm and welcoming, rather than clinical and cold, or worse, judgmental?
- Were you treated like a person they remember vs. patient #174? (Next…)
Reviewers mention Parkway’s warm, team-first vibe again and again, which can make a real difference when you’re already a little nervous about why you’re there in the first place. (And it is super common to feel nervous when first visiting a periodontist.)
Why Choose Parkway?
Put it all together…
- Serious training
- A full menu of treatments
- Hundreds of glowing reviews
- Modern technology
- And an office that feels less like a dentist’s and more like a friendly place to kick back and receive the compassionate care you deserve.
It’s easy to see why so many Augusta patients choose Parkway Periodontics and stick around.
If you’re ready to talk to a periodontal specialist in Augusta who checks every one of these boxes, give Parkway a call at 706-868-0246 or contact us online. Your gums will thank you. Maybe not during the appointment itself, but soon!