Services

If initial non-surgical therapy does not adequately control your periodontal disease, your periodontist may recommend periodontal surgery. The following are types of surgical treatment most commonly used to stop the disease process and re-establish periodontal health.

Your gingival (gum) tissues, when healthy, are non-inflamed and tightly adapted around your teeth. Periodontal disease destroys the connection between the teeth and the gingival tissues. This leads to the gingiva becoming loose and forming “pockets” around the teeth where bacteria and calculus collect and hide from your tooth brush and floss.

Periodontal disease destroys the gingival tissues and supporting bone around the teeth. As the bone is lost, the teeth become loose and ultimately will be lost if the bone loss is not stopped. In some cases, regenerative procedures can be used to re-build the tissues destroyed by the periodontal infection.

Periodontal procedures are also used to improve appearance, enhance your smile, and prepare teeth for restorative or cosmetic dentistry. Your periodontist can improve a “gummy” smile by correcting gingival contours and reducing excessive gums.

The crown of the tooth may become excessively short and difficult to restore due to caries (cavities), fracture, or prior restorative procedures. Teeth with good roots and supporting bone but poor crowns can be made restorable by use of a crown lengthening procedure.

Soft tissue grafting is another form of periodontal plastic surgery used to stop gum recession that is occurring due to disease or tooth brush trauma and to restore the lost gingival to more normal contours. Root surfaces, that become exposed as a result of prior disease, can be temperature sensitive, difficult to clean, more prone to further recession, and make your smile unattractive. These areas of gingival recession can be covered with new tissue by use of periodontal plastic surgery.

Dental implants are “root form” implants made of titanium or other materials that have been designed to integrate with the alveolar (jaw) bone. When teeth are lost, the missing tooth often can be replaced with a dental implant which acts as a new root. Once the implant has healed to the bone, it can be used to support a new crown, a bridge, or dentures to replace the missing tooth or teeth.