Periodontal disease, more commonly known as gum disease, is a common oral health condition affecting millions worldwide. An inflammatory disease that primarily affects the gums and can lead to severe dental problems if left untreated. Knowing the signs, causes, symptoms, and available treatment options is essential to ensure healthy teeth and gums throughout life. This...
Category: Restoring Periodontally Involved Teeth
Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy
Non-surgical therapy removes plaque and calculus by controlling the growth of harmful bacteria and by treating conditions that encourage gum disease. This type of treatment may be all that’s needed, especially when periodontal disease is caught early. You may also need to have certain procedures, such as replacing worn fillings or crowns with overhanging margins...
Soft Tissue Grafts
Periodontal procedures are available to stop further dental problems and gum recession, and/or to improve the esthetics of your gum line. Exposed tooth roots are the result of gum recession. Perhaps you wish to enhance your smile by covering one or more of these roots that make your teeth appear too long. Or, maybe you’re...
Crown Lengthening
Periodontal procedures are available to lay the groundwork for restorative and cosmetic dentistry and/or to improve the esthetics of your gum line. You may have asked your periodontist about procedures to improve a “gummy” smile because your teeth appear short. Your teeth may actually be the proper lengths, but they’re covered with too much gum...
Periodontal Surgery
If you’re diagnosed with periodontal disease, your periodontist may recommend periodontal surgery. Periodontal surgery is necessary when your periodontist determines that the tissue around your teeth is unhealthy and cannot be repaired with non-surgical treatment. Pocket Depth Reduction When supporting tissue and bone is destroyed, “pockets” form around the teeth. Your bone and gum tissue...
Non-Surgical Dental Treatments
Periodontal treatment guidelines stress that periodontal health should be achieved in the least invasive and most cost-effective manner. This is often accomplished through non-surgical periodontal treatment, including scaling and root planing (a careful cleaning of the root surfaces to remove plaque and calculus [tartar] from deep periodontal pockets and to smooth the tooth root to...