SURGICAL PROCEDURES

Below are just some of the many procedures and services we regularly provide to our patients – with a gentle touch, and stunning results.

BONE & TISSUE REGENERATION

Your bone and gum tissue should fit snugly around your teeth like a turtleneck around your neck. When you have periodontal disease the supporting tissue and bone is destroyed and pockets develop. Eventually, if too much bone is lost, the teeth will need to be extracted.

Eliminating existing bacteria and regenerating bone and tissue helps to reduce pocket depth and repair damage caused by the progression of periodontal disease. With a combination of daily oral hygiene and professional maintenance care, you'll increase the chances of keeping your natural teeth–and decrease the chances of serious health problems associated with periodontal disease.

SOFT TISSUE GRAFTS

Soft tissue grafts can cover exposed root surfaces to reduce plaque accumulation due to an uneven gum line, thus protect from new decay. It can also reduce tooth sensitivity by covering the exposed rot surfaces. Stop and prevent “gum recessions” while improving the aesthetics of your gum line after gum recession has occurred by covering the roots back up.

During this procedure, we take gum tissue from your palate or another donor source to cover the exposed root. We can do this for one tooth or several teeth to even your gum line and reduce sensitivity. There are different grafts that can be done: connective tissue grafting, gingival grafting and pedicle grafting. We will determine which graft best suits your situation.

RIDGE AUGMENTATION

Soft tissue ridge augmentations are performed to enhance the cleanability and aesthetics of a deficient site before its final restoration. During this procedure, we make an incision to expose the bony ridge. We then obtain a soft tissue graft either from a suitable site in your mouth and/or a soft tissue substitute and inserted into the area. The gum tissue is readapted over the soft tissue graft and sutured into place.
Hard tissue ridge augmentations are performed to recreate adequate bone dimensions prior to dental implant therapy. The hard tissue augmentation can also be done in combination with a soft tissue augmentation to, simultaneously, enhance the soft tissue profile of the deficient site. After the incision is made, and the gum lifted away, the bony defect or bone substitute is placed in to build up the ridge. A membrane may be adapted over the bone graft based on an individual defect morphology. Depending on defect size, an average bony healing and maturation time of 6-12 months is allowed before dental implants can be placed. In some cases, the implant can be placed at the same time as the hard tissue ridge augmentation is performed.

SINUS AUGMENTATION

The upper back of the jaw is one of the most difficult areas to place dental implants successfully due to insufficient bone quantity and quality and the close proximity to the sinus. If you’ve lost bone in that area due to periodontal disease or tooth loss, you may not have enough bone to place implants.

Sinus augmentation can help correct this problem by raising the sinus floor and developing bone for placing dental implants. We use several techniques to raise the sinus and allow for new bone to form. We can explain your options for graft materials, which can regenerate bone and tissue.

After your procedure, depending on your individual needs, the bone usually may develop for about four to eight months before we can place implants. If we determine that there is enough bone to support the implant, we may place the implants at the same time as the sinus elevation.

LASER TREATMENT

We provide a patient friendly treatment for periodontal disease using the latest laser technology to help eliminate infection and heal diseased gums, that if left untreated, could lead to early tooth loss.

The process involves removing tartar, associated with inflammation and bleeding gums, is from the root surface of the tooth using an ultrasonic scaler and small instruments.

Then, a small amount of light energy from a laser is directed through a tiny fiber that aids in reducing the bacteria associated with the disease. After the area is thoroughly cleaned, the body can heal the area naturally.

The procedure can be virtually painless and may be accomplished in one office visit. Actual estimated treatment time will be reviewed at the time of your consultation.

OSSEOUS SURGERY

Your bone and gum tissue should fit snugly around your teeth. When you have periodontal disease, it destroys the tissue and bone that surrounds your teeth, forming "pockets".

Over time, these pockets become deeper, providing a larger space for bacteria to thrive. These deep pockets collect even more bacteria, resulting in further bone and tissue loss. If you lose too much bone over time, the teeth may need to be extracted.

During osseous surgery, gum tissue is folded back, disease-causing bacteria is removed, and the tissue is secured back into place. Sometimes, irregular surfaces of the damaged bone are smoothed out to limit additional areas where disease-causing bacteria can hide and allows the gum tissue to better reattach to healthy bone.

Reducing pocket depth and eliminating existing bacteria are important to prevent tooth loss. Eliminating bacteria alone may not prevent disease recurrence. Deeper pockets are more difficult for you and your dental care professional to clean, so it's important for you to reduce these pockets.

ROOT PLANNING & SCALING

For your dental health, you need routine cleanings in our office to remove plaque and tartar that exist above and below the gum line. The goal of scaling and root planning is to remove this source of periodontal infection.

Normally, we'll spread scaling and root planning over several appointments. This will maximize your comfort and allows us to monitor healing and assist in your home care efforts.

If needed, we may provide you with a local anesthetic before the procedure begins. Then we'll use either a small scaling instrument or an ultrasonic scaler to carefully and meticulously remove the plaque and tartar from the top of your tooth to the bottom of the pocket.

Once the source of infection is removed, your gums will heal, and will once again tighten around your teeth.

POST TREATMENT

We must monitor your gums closely. Following Root Planning and Scaling, we'll have you come to see us every few months for ongoing care.

Your visits may include x-rays, re-evaluation of your periodontal health and the effectiveness of your home care, removal of plaque above and below the gum line, and re-treatment with scaling and root planning.

These frequent checkups are vital for controlling your periodontal disease.