Periodontal & Dental Implant Services

Content pending.

A tooth that can not be saved with restorative materials may need to be removed. Before removing your tooth, the area will be numbed with anesthesia. The tooth is then loosened using a special dental instrument known as an elevator. After it is loosened from the socket, it is gently removed by a forcep, a dental instrument commonly used in dental extractions. Stitches may be necessary after the removal of a tooth. 

The smooth, pink skin lining the mouth is called mucosa.  Abnormalities in the color or texture of this skin can sometimes indicate pathology.  Any concerns with the skin in the mouth, a sore that is not healing properly or a lump on the inside of the cheeks, palate, gums or lips may merit a biopsy so that the tissue sample can be tested for oral cancer.  Please do not ignore these warning signs and  mention any concerns you may have during your visit. 

An apicoectomy is a root tip surgery. This procedure is performed to remove a tooth’s root tip to prevent further infection of the root. First, a small incision is made in the gum and bone over the tooth’s root. After the root tip is accessed, it is cleaned and sealed with a small filling. The gum is then stitched back into place.

The Pinhole Surgical Technique is a new therapy used to treat gum recession with no blades, no cutting and no stitches.  Using specially designed instruments, the patient’s existing gum tissue is loosened and repositioned to correct recessive gum tissues, often improving both aesthetics and health.  With this minimally invasive procedure, receding gums can often be corrected with minimal patient discomfort and a rapid recovery and healing time for the treated gum tissues.  

Bruxism is the sliding of the teeth back and forth over each other (grinding) or clenching and unclenching of the teeth. It can occur during the day or night, during sleep or while awake, so patients may not even be unaware that they are doing it. Bruxism can be caused or intensified by stress and can lead to significant dental problems if not addressed. Bruxism causes additional wear on the tooth and root structures, as well as surrounding tissues, due to the abnormal, frequent pressure. Bruxism can lead to both periodontal disease and problems with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), as well as sleep disorders and damage to the teeth themselves. A custom removable acrylic appliance can be made to help protect teeth against wear, breakage, and other effects of bruxism. These appliances are usually worn at night during sleep.

Signs and symptoms of bruxism include:

• Headache
• Insomnia
• Gum Recession
• Periodontal Disease
• TMJ Disorders
• Wear to Teeth
• Broken or Fractured Teeth

Scaling and root planing is a non-surgical procedure used to treat gum disease. During the scaling process, specialized dental instruments are used to remove dental plaque and calculus from beneath the gums. Planing is the procedure used to smooth the tooth’s root after the scaling process. Root planing helps the gums heal and reattach themselves to a cleaner and smoother root surface.

Home care is an extremely important part of maintaining healthy teeth and gums, but even excellent home care cannot prevent bacteria and plaque. If the plaque is not removed, it can harden, becoming calculus. We will recommend a periodontal maintenance program that is best for you based on how quickly you develop calculus and your past and current periodontal health. During your maintenance visits we will perform and oral examination as well as a dental cleaning.

During an oral examination, a visual inspection is performed to detect normal and abnormal structures of the entire mouth, head and neck. Along with radiographs, an examination detects cavities, abnormalities in existing dental restorations, gum and bone recession and any other abnormal findings within the mouth, head and neck

A dental cleaning, also known as an oral prophylaxis, is the removal of dental plaque and tartar (calculus) from the teeth. Specialized instruments are used to gently remove these deposits without harming the teeth. First, an ultrasonic device that emits vibrations and is cooled by water is used to loosen larger pieces of tartar. Next, hand tools are used to manually remove smaller deposits and smooth the tooth surfaces.