What is Periodontal Disease and Why is it Vital to Maintain Healthy Gums?
Periodontal disease, which affects 3 out of 4 adults after age 35, is a gum infection, caused by bacteria, that damages tissue and bone around the teeth. Left untreated, it can lead to tooth loss and additional complications. Studies have shown a link between periodontal disease and other health problems, such as heart disease.
Periodontal disease occurs when bacteria builds up on your teeth under the gums, causing your gums to become red and swollen. This condition, known as inflammation, if left untreated, eventually results in damage to the ligaments and bone that hold your teeth in place, forming pockets around your teeth. As the disease progresses and these pockets become deeper, your teeth can become loose or even fall out. Dentists and professional dental hygienists can tell how severe a patient's periodontitis is by measuring pocket depth and reviewing patient x-rays.
What is Non-Surgical Periodontal Treatment?
Most frequently, periodontal health should be achieved in a non-invasive and cost-effective manner. This is often accomplished through a treatment called scaling and root planing --a careful cleaning of the root surfaces to remove plaque and tartar from deep periodontal pockets, and to smooth the tooth root to remove bacterial toxins. Scaling and root planing can be aided through the application of locally administered antibiotics delivered directly into the infected pockets between your teeth.
Periodontal surgery becomes necessary if we determine that the tissue around your teeth is unhealthy and cannot be repaired with non-surgical treatment. There are the three types of surgical treatments most commonly prescribed:
Pocket Reduction
During this procedure, the gum tissue is surgically folded back so that the disease-causing bacteria can be removed. In some cases, irregular surfaces of the damaged bone are smoothed to limit areas where disease-causing bacteria can hide. This allows the gum tissue to better reattach to healthy bone after it is sutured closed.
Benefits: Reducing pocket depth and eliminating existing bacteria are important to prevent damage caused by the progression of periodontal disease and to help you maintain a healthy smile. Reduced pockets and a combination of daily oral hygiene and professional maintenance care increase your chances of keeping your natural teeth, and decrease the chance of serious health problems associated with periodontal disease.
Regenerative Procedures
Your bone and gum tissue should fit snugly around your teeth. When you have periodontal disease, this supporting tissue and bone are destroyed and pockets develop. Eventually, if too much bone is lost, the teeth will need to be extracted. In this case, we may recommend a regenerative procedure when the bone supporting your teeth has been destroyed. These procedures can reverse some of the damage by regenerating lost bone and tissue.
During this procedure, the gum tissue is surgically folded back and the disease-causing bacteria are removed. Membranes, bone grafts or tissue can be used to encourage your body's natural ability to regenerate bone and tissue.
Soft Tissue Grafts
Soft tissue grafts can be used to cover roots or develop missing gum tissue caused by excessive gum recession. During this procedure, gum tissue is used to cover the exposed root. This can be done for one or more teeth to even your gum line and reduce sensitivity.
How Can I Improve The Way I Look Through Periodontics?
You’ve learned that periodontal therapy is an important means of saving teeth. But did you know that there are some periodontal procedures that can also transform your appearance and self-
confidence by enhancing your smile? A healthy, natural smile is a window to the world in many respects, because that is one of the first things that people notice about you. Enhancing your smile can also help your overall health and sense of emotional well-being by enabling you to smile, eat and speak with comfort and confidence.
There are two main procedures that we can do to enhance your smile, which can improve the results of periodontal treatment, and help to prevent future periodontal disease:
Esthetic Crown Lengthening
During this procedure, excess gum and bone are reshaped to expose more of the natural tooth. This can be done to one tooth to create an even your gum line, or to several teeth to expose a natural, broad smile. Esthetic crown lengthening may also be done to facilitate placement of a crown or veneer. It is usually indicated for patients with short-looking teeth and a "gummy smile," or when the gum line is uneven. Whether you have crown lengthening to enhance your appearance or to improve your chewing function, you will often receive the benefits of both. See photos. (Link to photo gallery)
Soft Tissue Grafts
Gum disease causes gum recession, which exposes tooth roots. A soft tissue graft procedure will repair the defect and help to prevent additional recession and bone loss and enhance your smile by covering one or more of your exposed roots that make your teeth appear too long. During this procedure, gum tissue is used to cover the exposed root. This can be done for one or more teeth to even your gum line and reduce sensitivity. See photos. (Link to photo gallery)
For teeth that are lost or damaged beyond repair, dental implants can provide a lifetime replacement that maintains the look, feel, and function of natural teeth.
DIEM TM The Single-Day Implant
Dr. Sonick is a leader in the clinically proven DIEM TM or single-day dental implant procedure. With the DIEM TM implant a fixed tooth replacement can be immediately placed, enabling you to receive your new teeth in a day.This procedure can have notable advantages, such as prevention of jawbone deterioration, fewer surgical procedures and shorter treatment time.
Before Dr. Sonick added this exciting procedure, traditional dental implant methods typically took up to six months for the bone to anchor the implant into place, during which time patients would wear a removable temporary tooth replacement option over the implant sites.
In general, anyone missing at least one tooth and healthy enough to undergo routine dental treatment, including tooth extraction, is probably able to undergo dental implant treatment. There are some medical conditions that warrant special consideration before placing dental implants. Certain chronic diseases, heavy smoking or alcohol abuse may contraindicate implant treatment.
If you already wear dentures but are uncomfortable with the way they look or how they make you feel, you should consider implants. You are never too old to get implants on the type of restoration that will best serve your needs.
What Are The Benefits Of Dental Implants?
Dental implants eliminate the pain and discomfort of removable full or partial dentures. You may have experienced exposed nerves and irritation of the gum tissue that cause discomfort. Implant-supported replacement teeth are like natural teeth because they are anchored securely to your jawbone. Gum irritation and the pain of exposed nerves associated with conventional full or partial dentures are eliminated.
Dental Implants eliminate the slippage of full or partial dentures.
Since dentures sit on top of the jawbone and gums, continuous shrinkage of the jawbone alters the fit of dentures resulting in slippage and sometimes pain and discomfort. Dental implants eliminate this.
Dental implants can prevent and reverse bone loss.
Implants halt and even reverse the bone loss that results from losing teeth. Complete denture wearers often become aware of jawbone loss as their dentures become loose. But people who lose one tooth, which is replaced by a bridge, may even be unaware that the jaw bone is disintegrating.
Dental Implants improve the quality of your life.
With dentures, the teeth can slip and slide around the mouth. The facial muscles become tense in an attempt to hold the teeth in place. This often results in mumbling, slurred speech or clicking noises. Dental implants allow you to speak with confidence in a relaxed and natural tone and eliminate the need for applications of denture adhesive.Dental implants restore chewing efficiency like that of natural teeth, so you can eat normally.
Are Dental Implants Expensive?
Many people incorrectly assume that dental implant treatment is more expensive than alternative methods of tooth replacement. In reality, implant treatment can be more cost effective. Other treatments require extensive repairs, replacements, and procedures to preserve the integrity of facial structures and prevent additional tooth loss. Dental implants do not. They can last a lifetime.
The first step in the decision for dental implants is to make an appointment with us for an evaluation. We will conduct a complete examination of your mouth and teeth, and take a thorough medical and dental history. You'll receive X-rays and possibly a CT scan, which will give us a good idea of your bone density and the shape of your jaw. Finally, we'll discuss the options available to you, talk about the procedures and any possible complications that could arise. We’ll help you come to an informed decision that’s right for you.