Periodontal Treatment

Gum Grafting

Aggressive tooth brushing or periodontal disease can lead to gum recession, which ultimately results in exposed tooth roots. When tooth roots are exposed, teeth appear too long and can become sensitive to hot and cold liquids and foods. Also, the exposed roots are in danger of decay.

Soft tissue grafts are available to repair this problem as well as prevent further recession, bone loss or decay. The procedure covers the roots where excessive gum recession is present. Gum tissue is taken from your palate or from another donor source to cover the exposed root, thus, evening your gum line and reducing sensitivity levels.

Crown Lengthening

As one of many specialty periodontal procedures performed by our office, crown lengthening is a long-lasting restorative process utilized to help patients regain a beautiful smile and allow them to eat and speak with comfort and confidence.

Crown lengthening is a simple surgical procedure where the position of the gum around a tooth is adjusted to expose more of the tooth structure. If a tooth is decayed, broken below the gum line or has insufficient crown height, there might not be enough tooth structure available to accommodate restoration procedures, such as a crown or bridge. In these instances, crown lengthening surgery may be necessary in order to provide more tooth structure for your periodontist to work with.

For the patient’s comfort, a local anesthetic is used to numb the surgical area. Typically, little to no discomfort is felt as your periodontist reshapes the gum and bone tissue to expose more structure of the damaged tooth. Following the surgery, the treated area may be a little tender, sore or swollen; painkillers and antibiotics may be prescribed to help relieve discomfort and prevent infection from occurring.

In most cases, recovery time after crown lengthening surgery is minimal, and patients can resume their normal routines the day after surgery.

Bone Grafting

A bone graft may be needed in areas where bone is missing. A surgical procedure, bone grafting replaces missing bone and aids in the re-growth of new bone by placing material from the patient’s own body or an artificial, synthetic or natural substitute into the area where bone existed. The new bone growth strengthens the grafted area by forming a bridge between the existing bone and the graft material. Over time, new bone growth will replace much of the grafted material.

For periodontal needs, bone grafts are most commonly used to restore or regenerate bone as needed prior to the placement of bridges or implants.