Caring for your oral health means caring for your whole smile, including your gums.
The periodontal procedures we offer at Prosthodontic Dental Group help you maintain your gum health to support a stunning smile.
Periodontics is a passion of ours because we understand the importance of gum health to your overall health. At our California dental office, we offer a variety of periodontal services to improve the health and aesthetics of your gum tissue. From gum disease treatment to gum grafts and everything in between, our team can determine and deliver the appropriate periodontal procedure for you.
Scaling & Root Planing
When gum disease is caught in its early stages, we may recommend a procedure known as scaling and root planing. This deep cleaning of your teeth both above and below the gum line ensures that all build-up is removed and bacteria are eliminated, leaving you with a clean slate.
With scaling and root planing combined with good at-home oral hygiene, you can continue to improve your gum health and keep gum disease at bay.
Bone Regeneration
Bone loss can occur for numerous reasons—including prolonged tooth loss and periodontal disease. When the jaw bone deteriorates, it can cause collapsed facial features and characteristics of premature aging. Additionally, bone loss can eventually cause teeth to become loose and even fall out.
To fight this, we can use biocompatible grafting materials to stimulate the bone in areas of poor density and regrow it, giving your teeth a more secure base again. This can also make dental implant placement possible for patients seeking a dependable dental restoration! Talk to our team about your bone regeneration options at your next appointment.
Sinus Lift
As we begin the dental implant journey, one important factor to check for is that you have enough bone material to support your new implants. When we’re placing an implant in the upper arch, we may need to improve the bone density by performing a sinus lift. This procedure increases the amount of space between the jawbone and the sinus by lifting the sinus cavity and placing grafting material. With this procedure, we are able to create more substantial bone mass to support your new dental implants.
Soft Tissue Graft
Gum recession can occur as a result of gum disease, aggressive brushing, or even using abrasive dental products. When left untreated, the recession can lead to increased tooth sensitivity, tooth decay, and even loss of the teeth.
One common solution to address gum recession is a soft tissue graft, also known as a gum graft. This procedure involves taking healthy gum tissue from one area of the mouth and attaching it to the receding gum line to protect the tooth root and restore the gum line. This procedure has a high success rate, and the newly grafted tissue typically integrates well with the existing gum tissue, improving the overall health and appearance of the gums.
Gum Lift
We use a gum lift to reshape the gum line when excessive gum tissue is present. A gum lift can be performed on one tooth, a series of teeth, or the whole gum line depending on your smile needs. With this cosmetic periodontal procedure, our goal is to give you a balanced smile, so we’ll work closely with you to design your look and ensure you’re happy with the results.
Gum Flap Surgery
In the later stages of gum disease, known as periodontitis and advanced periodontitis, the ligaments and tissues around your teeth begin to break down, creating large periodontal pockets and causing your teeth to become loose. With gum flap surgery, we can carefully remove inflamed tissue, treat any infection that may be present, and then close up the enlarged pockets.
This surgery helps to reduce the depth of the periodontal pockets and promote healing, ultimately preventing further damage to the gums, teeth, and underlying bone structure.
Crown Lengthening
If you have prominent gum tissue, causing your teeth to look smaller than you’d like, we can use a crown lengthening procedure to reshape your gum line and give your teeth a more pleasing look. With crown lengthening, we remove small amounts of gum tissue to expose more of the surface of your tooth or teeth, making the gums and teeth more proportional. Additionally, this can also be used to prepare a tooth for a dental crown or other restorative procedures when not enough tooth structure is exposed above the gum line.
Frenectomy
If you or your child have ever been told that you have a tongue-tie or a lip-tie, a frenectomy may be the recommended treatment. A frenectomy is a minor surgical procedure that involves removing or cutting the frenum, a small fold of tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth (lingual frenum) or the upper lip to the gums (labial frenum). These attachments can sometimes be overly tight, thick, or short, causing difficulty in speech, eating, or oral hygiene.
Tongue and lip ties are common in infants and children, but we see them in adults as well. No matter the age of the patient, we can perform a frenectomy to cut or modify the tissue causing the tie.
Our team is excited to help you improve the health and appearance of your gums. Call our office today to schedule an appointment. We will walk you through your needs and your treatment options.