DENTAL IMPLANTS
As you go through life, there’s a good chance that for any number of reasons you could lose one or more of your teeth. Poor dental hygiene, an accident that injures your mouth or your jaw, or just normal decay or gum disease are all possible reasons why you may suffer the loss of one or more of your teeth.
What You Should Know About Dental Implants
Cosmetic Periodontal Surgery
When you’re trying to make a great first impression, one of the first things people notice is what a great smile you have, or in some cases, don’t have.
Some aspects of your smile you have no control over, but in other cases, you can take steps to enhance your smile and also protect the health of your teeth and gums.
The Benefits of Cosmetic Periodontal Surgery
If you suffer from unsightly, exposed or sensitive root surfaces or have a gummy smile you can elect to undergo cosmetic periodontal surgery.
Gum Grafting
Gum grafting is also known as a gingival graft, and while it may sound like a bit of a daunting procedure, it is less intrusive than you might think.
Why you Might Need a Gum Grafting Procedure
In many cases a gum grafting procedure may become necessary to protect a patient’s teeth from the damaging effects of gum recession. Gum recession occurs when the tissue that surrounds teeth pulls away, exposing too much of the tooth or the root of the tooth. This is a problem because too much exposure can cause damage to the supporting bone structure.
Periodontal Disease Treatment
In some form or another, periodontal disease affects large numbers of Americans. Left untreated, it can range from a simple inflammation of the gums to much more serious problems that cause major damage to gums, teeth, and bones in the facial region. Dr. Ting and the staff at Think Oral Implants and Periodontics offer a wide range of treatments to combat periodontal disease, addressing the issues as effectively as possible to minimize long-term detrimental dental health impacts.
Scaling and Root Planing
The best way to describe the benefits of a scaling and root planing procedure is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Scaling and root planing is one of the most effective ways to treat gum disease before it becomes severe. Severe gum disease requires more invasive and painful procedures to remedy the problem.
What is scaling and root planing
In a scaling and root planing procedure, Dr. Ting will clean between the gums and teeth of a patient’s mouth down to the roots. In some cases, Dr. Ting will use an ultrasonic tool for the procedure which may be less uncomfortable than a standard scraping tool.
Laser Surgery, LANAP
Advancements in periodontal treatment continue to improve experiences for patients in many ways. One of the most important of these is the use of laser surgery to treat a variety of gum disease conditions.
PerioLase for LANAP is the only laser approved by the FDA
The introduction of laser surgery is a modern approach to treating gum disease that allows periodontists to remove only diseased tissue without removing any surrounding healthy gum tissue. This non-surgical technique means that patients can get the best possible results without unnecessary pain or lengthy healing times.
Gingivectomy
A gingivectomy is generally performed where there is excess tissue and the underlying bone is not in the way.
The Gingivectomy Procedure
Dr. Ting will begin the procedure by numbing a patient’s mouth with a local anesthesia. This will be followed by using a laser to remove excess gum tissue or damaged gum tissue. The laser allows Dr. Ting to be precise. This precise application also promotes more rapid healing and reduced pain.
Soft Tissue Graft
When the roots of teeth become exposed, or when hot or cold foods become uncomfortable to eat due heightened teeth and gum sensitivity, a person may be suffering from some form of gum recession. There are many options Dr. Ting can explore to help remedy this situation. One of the more common procedures is a soft tissue graft.
Benefits of a soft tissue graft
Soft tissue grafting can address many types of gum issues, making it a versatile solution for all kinds of periodontal problems.
Crown Lengthening
Some people feel that their teeth are too short, because they have a “gummy” smile where too much of the gum covers a person’s teeth. The teeth themselves may actually be the right length, but it is the gums that need to be corrected to improve a person’s smile.
Improving a “Gummy” Smile Through Crown Lengthening
To improve this type of a look, Dr. Ting performs what is known as a crown lengthening procedure. This is accomplished by taking excess gum and bone tissue and reshaping it to expose more of a patient’s tooth.
Receding Gum Treatment
Receding gums are a common problem that happens when gum tissue pulls back and exposes the roots of a person’s teeth. There are many possible causes of receding gums, and depending on the cause, Dr. Ting can provide an effective receding gum treatment to restore a patient’s dental health.
Causes of Receding Gums
There are many reasons why a person may experience receding gums, some of them due to poor personal habits, and others are simply due to factors beyond our control
Sinus Augmentation
One of the keys to a successful dental implant procedure is having enough healthy and natural bone to support the implant. In some cases, there may not be enough natural bone due to gum disease, development defects, trauma to the face or jaw, spaces left empty after teeth are removed, or other previous procedures where efforts were not made to restore a patient’s natural bone. When this is the case, bone can be augmented through procedures such as bone grafts, ridge expansions, and sinus augmentation.