Periodontal Disease Treatment

Periodontists have the training and education necessary to handle advanced tooth decay cases, and are uniquely suited to treat more severe dental issues. Periodontists can help treat and correct issues such as gum disease and perform surgeries to fix teeth and gum issues in order to make the mouth healthier.

Periodontists specialize in:

• Dental Implants: When injury, decay, or dental disease takes its toll the result is often missing teeth. Periodontists can implant artificial teeth to fill in the gaps. These implants are anchored into the gum and jawbone and are very natural-looking. Dental implants are a great choice when only a few teeth are missing and they are more affordable and also stronger options as opposed to a partial bridge or a full set of dentures.
• Deep cleaning (scaling and root planing): When advanced cases of periodontitis (gum disease) become an issue, it is very hard to clean all of the spaces and areas around the teeth and gums. In this sort of situation, scaling and root planing can be performed in order to help remove debris and bacteria so that the infection can be cleared up and the teeth and gums can be cleaned easier and more effectively.
• Surgery: Reconstructive surgery may be needed when there has been severe damage done to the teeth and the jaw structure or when the alignment of the teeth is severely out of place. This sort of surgery often involves recontouring the shape of the teeth, repositioning the teeth, or removing hard tissues and bone from the jaw and gums. This sort of surgery is usually done to help create a more natural-looking smile.
• Gingivectomy/Gingivoplasty: When gum disease advances too far there is significant damage done to the gums. A receding gumline is a common symptom of this as is loose teeth, shifting teeth, and irritated gums that bleed easily. Soft tissues can be added or removed in order to give a person a more natural-looking smile as well as to protect the teeth and gums from further damage
• Crown lengthening: Sometimes the teeth do not poke through as much as they should and end up being mostly hidden by gum tissue. When this is the case, a Periodontist can remove some of the extra tissue and gums to help your teeth look normal and give you a better-looking smile. Removing the extra tissue can also make it easier to brush, floss, and clean your teeth and maintain a healthy mouth.
• Tissue grafting: When there has been a great deal of bone loss from dental disease and untreated conditions, dental implants will not be an option because there is not enough bone tissue to secure the implants too.