peridontics
Services
Deep Scaling and Root Planning
Bleeding gums and deep gum pockets, known as periodontitis (gum disease) is a result of oral bacteria (dental plaque) and poor oral hygiene. Periodontitis, if left untreated, can lead to bone loss, chronic gum infections, loose teeth and bad breath. Your overall health may also be affected: A clear link has been shown between periodontitis and heart disease; bacterial plaque and gum inflammation can lead to thickened heart arteries, known as atherosclerosis.
Treating this disease involves removing the source of the gum inflammation, bacterial plaque and tartar, by anesthetizing (numbing) your gums and performing deep scaling and root planning of the tooth root surfaces. Thereafter, to ensure an optimum gum response, antibiotics are placed in deep gum pockets. If tended to early, most cases of periodontitis are resolvable. More advanced or chronic gum inflammation often requires surgery to prevent tooth loss and/or continual dental infections.
Gum Surgery
In the event of chronic gum infections, deep gum pockets, or a poor initial healing response to deep teeth cleaning, gum surgery is employed to allow our periodontist access to bacterial plaque and tartar for its removal and/or to shorten deep gum pockets for a more cleansable and healthier periodontium. Under local anesthesia the gums are gently reflected, the bone is cleaned and shaped, and dental plaque and dental tartar are removed. This procedure is completed in our office by our periodontist.
Surgical Implants
Dental implants are titanium screws that, once placed in jaw bones, mimic natural tooth roots and allow us to replace missing teeth with implant crowns. Our periodontist performs dental implant placement in our office, under local anesthesia. Before a crown can be placed on the dental implant post, your bone must grow around it (osseous integration) which takes 3-5 months. In the interim, a temporary crown or bridge can be made to fill in the missing tooth space.
Gum recession is a very common finding in many of our adult patients. It can be lessened by using a soft bristled tooth brush and a gentle hand. Symptoms of gum recession include tooth sensitivity (lack of enamel covering) and chronic gum infection or inflammation. To repair this defect, a small amount of gum tissue (gum graft) is removed from the roof of your mouth and stitched over the receded area. The procedure is performed in our office by our periodontist under local anesthesia. The grafted gum tissue reduces tooth sensitivity and reduces gum inflammation.
Gingival (Gum) Grafts
Crown Lengthening
Gum recession is a very common finding in many of our adult patients. It can be lessened by using a soft bristled tooth brush and a gentle hand. Symptoms of gum recession include tooth sensitivity (lack of enamel covering) and chronic gum infection or inflammation. To repair this defect, a small amount of gum tissue (gum graft) is removed from the roof of your mouth and stitched over the receded area. The procedure is performed in our office by our periodontist under local anesthesia. The grafted gum tissue reduces tooth sensitivity and reduces gum inflammation.
Bone Grafts and Sinus Lifts
In order to restore missing teeth areas with dental implants, enough volume of bone must be present to ensure their long term stability and success. If, for instance, you lose an upper molar tooth and your maxillary sinus is enlarged, a bone graft is needed to provide extra stability for the dental implant. A digital panoramic film and/or a CT scan of your jaw prior to dental implant placement will determine whether a bone graft and/or sinus lift is needed.
Dental Extraction
Some teeth are beyond repair. A failed root canal, dental abscess, severe periodontal disease, or extensive tooth decay may result in an unrestorable tooth. In this instance, tooth extraction helps to relieve and maintain the health of your gums and bone. Fortunately, missing teeth can be restored with dental implants and implant crowns. Removal of teeth that will be restored with dental implants is performed in our office by our periodontist under local anesthesia.
Wisdom teeth can pose many threats to your dentition. Wisdom teeth that are partially out the gums are prone to dental abscess and tooth decay. Wisdom teeth can come in at awkward angles causing deep gum pockets, gum disease, or tooth decay around neighboring teeth. These teeth are often very difficult for you to keep clean at home and very difficult for your dentist to optimally restore. Wisdom teeth can also potentially shift front teeth causing crowding or rotated teeth. For all of these reasons, wisdom teeth are recommended for removal. Your general dentist may remove your wisdom teeth, or a referral to an oral surgeon can be made for difficult cases.