Periodontal Dentistry

To effectively treat some gum diseases, a surgical procedure might be necessary. Such may include:

BONE GRAFTS DONE BY A Periodontist (Gum Specialist)

In this procedure, the main idea is to restore the part of the jawbone destroyed by gum disease. This can be done using synthetic bone, your own, or bone that has been donated. This is essential in strengthening the jaw so that it can be sufficient for its tasks like eating.

FLAP SURGERY BY A Periodontist

There are similarities between this procedure and the non-surgical treatment – scaling and root planing. The Periodontist will remove the spaces between the jaw and the tooth to avert any possibility of bacteria building up. As such, it is commonly known as pocket reduction surgery.

GUM DOCTOR BONE SURGERY

Bacteria usually fills the craters on the tooth, accumulating and starting the decomposition of the tooth. This makes it important to smooth the craters to remove such a possibility. Bone surgery comes after flap surgery to make sure that there is no room for bacteria to form plaque.

SOFT TISSUE GRAFTS DONE BY THE WILSHIRE SMILE STUDIO PERIODONTIST

Just like it is the case for the bone grafting, soft tissue grafting involves adding tissue to the affected area. When the gum recedes due to an infection or trauma, tissue from other parts of the mouth, mostly the roof of the mouth, is taken and attached to the affected area. Our Periodontist would recommend this procedure in the instance that the patient has the roots of the teeth showing, a condition is known as “long teeth.”

Periodontics Is The Most Important Specialty To Keep Your Gums Healthy

Periodontics is the critical dental specialty of treating dangerous gum disease (aka periodontitis or periodontal disease). Healthy gums are pink, firm, and fit snugly around the teeth, which they hold in place on the jaw bone. In the initial stage of gum disease, called gingivitis, there is no pain, but if the gums bleed when they are brushed or flossed, if they turn dark red or appear inflamed and puffy, are tender, or seem to be pulling away from your teeth, this needs to be diagnosed and treated appropriately right away.

The periodontal health team at Wilshire Smile Studio—including the dental hygienist, the general dentist, and the periodontist—can use a variety of tools and technologies to diagnose the health of your teeth, gums, and the underlying bone. In addition to training each patient in proper brushing and flossing and recommending a periodontal mouth wash, the hygienist will set up a schedule for regular cleaning at the office every few months, which can include scraping off tartar, deep irrigation with an antibacterial solution, insertion of antibiotic pellets into an infected area, and root planing.

The most advanced cases will require the use of a laser or surgical tools by the periodontist. During gum flap surgery, the gums are lifted back to allow tartar to be removed and then reattached to the teeth to reduce the chances of reinfection. Soft tissue grafts are sometimes taken from the gum of the roof of the mouth to reinforce thin gums. In other cases, a mesh fabric is inserted to stimulate bone and gum tissue to grow. Bone grafts use pieces of your own bone, synthetic bone, or donated bone to restore the amount of lost bone needed to support the teeth properly.

If you feel you have an overly gummy smile—your teeth seem short compared with the amount of gum showing, for example—you may want the gums contoured (painlessly with a laser) to a more attractive ratio to the teeth. If the issue is not too much gum, but unusually short teeth or teeth that have had to be ground down to remove cavities, crown lengthening would be the solution. This involves removing some bone around the root to be able to put a crown on top that looks like a natural tooth. A gum graft can solve the opposite cosmetic problem, receding gums.

Call Wilshire Smile Studio for a periondontal health exam: 323-DENTIST (336-8478).