Surgical Periodontal Treatment
Bring Life Back to Your Smile with the Best Periodontists & Modern Technology
If have periodontal (gum) disease, you are not alone. An estimated 80% of American adults have some form of gum disease. There are several forms of gum disease with gingivitis being the mildest and periodontium being the more severe form of gum disease that can lead to tooth loss.
From a simple inflammation to a major damage to soft tissue and bone supporting the teeth, our team of expert and board-certified periodontists can help you to resolve your periodontal issues. Our periodontists treat all of gum issues including:
- Gummy Smile
- Gum Overgrowth
- Gum Recession
- Gum Disease and Infection
What is Periodontitis?
Periodontitis is a destructive inflammatory disease.
What Is Periodontal Treatment & Why It Is Important?
Periodontics is the branch of dentistry that focuses on the health of bones and tissues that support your teeth. Regular visits with Dr. Maryam Horiyat at Aria Dental of Mission Viejo will maintain the health of these vital structures. When bacterial build-up is threatening the health of your smile, there are two options: non-surgical and surgical periodontics that can be used to restore health of your gum and bone tissues. Excellent Orange County periodontal treatment with the best board-certified periodontists at Aria Dental of Mission Viejo is vital to keep the smiles of everyone bright and healthy.
Periodontal Treatment Options
If you’ve been diagnosed with gum disease, there are a variety of treatment options depending on the severity of the problem. We always start with the least invasive options, which are non-surgical treatment including Laser Dentistry; However, in more serious cases, surgery may be necessary.
Non-Surgical Treatment
SCALING & ROOT PLANING: The first line of defense against gum disease is a unique type of cleaning called “scaling and root planing.” In this procedure, an ultrasonic cleaning device is used to remove plaque or calculus from your teeth at or below the gum line. Root surfaces of tooth may be smoothed using “Periodontal Debridement”, which is a procedure by which plaque and tartar that have accumulated on the teeth can be removed. This provides a healthy and clean surface that makes it easier for the gum tissue to re-attach to the tooth.
If you address your gum disease before it becomes severe, scaling and root planing and diode soft tissue laser may be the only treatment you need. However, as with any dental procedure, after-care is vital. In order to keep your teeth in good shape and resist future occurrences of gum disease, you must brush and floss daily, eat a healthy diet, avoid tobacco use, and have regular dental checkups. Even after a successful scaling and root planing, if you don’t attend to your teeth properly, it’s quite likely that you’ll develop gum disease again.
MEDICATIONS: There are some versatile and non-invasive antibiotic medications such as Arestint® (Minocycline HCL) and PerioProtect® that can treat you beyond your dentist visit.
DIODE SOFT TISSUE LASER: Diode Soft Tissue Laser is an additional treatment to treat bacterial pocket along the gum-line in mild gingivitis to moderate periodontitis. This technique uses the laser light to eliminate periodontal pathogens and promote the return of the periodontium to a state of health.
PERIOLASE®LANAP LASER: For moderate to severe gum disease, we offer PerioLase®LANAP therapy, which is the first FDA approved and less invasive alternative to gum surgery. It allows our LANAP® Certified Periodontist to remove only diseased tissue without removing or damaging any of the healthy gum. it requires No Cut, No Stich, No Drill, and No Fear. It kills the dangerous bacteria and helps to regenerate new gum and bone by stimulating your existing stem cells.
Surgical Treatment Options
If the tissue or bone surrounding your teeth is too damaged to be repaired with non-surgical treatment, several surgical procedures are available to prevent severe damage and to restore a healthy smile. We will recommend the procedure that is best suited to the condition of your teeth and gums. Following is a list of common types of periodontal surgery:
POCKET DEPTH REDUCTION: In a healthy mouth, the teeth are firmly surrounded by gum tissue and securely supported by the bones of the jaw. Periodontal disease damages these tissues and bones, leaving open spaces around the teeth that we call pockets. The larger these pockets are, the easier it is for bacteria to collect inside them, leading to more and more damage over time. Eventually the supportive structure degrades to the point that the tooth either falls out or needs to be removed.
During pocket reduction procedures (also known as “flap surgery”), we fold back the gum tissue and remove the bacteria hiding underneath, as well as the hardened plaque and tartar that have collected. We may also remove any tissue that is too damaged to survive. We then sew the healthy tissue back into place. Now that the tooth and root are free of bacteria, plaque, and tartar, and the pockets have been reduced, the gums can reattach to the teeth.
REGENERATION: When the bone and tissue supporting the teeth have been lost due to severe gum disease, we can restore these areas with a regeneration procedure. During this process, we begin by folding back the gum tissue and removing the bacteria, plaque, and tartar. Depending on your situation, we may then perform a bone graft to stimulate new bone growth, or we may apply a special kind of protein that stimulates tissue growth to repair the areas that have been destroyed by the disease.
SOFT-TISSUE GRAFT: A frequent symptom of gum disease is gum recession (also called gingival recession). As the gums recede, more of the roots are revealed. This can make teeth appear longer and can also create sensitivity to hot or cold liquids or food. It also exposes the tooth to increased damage from gum disease, as bacteria, plaque, and tartar attack the surface of the tooth and the root.
During a soft-tissue graft of gum grafting, tissue from the top of your mouth or another source is sewed to the gum area, covering the roots and restoring the gum line to its original, healthy location. This procedure can also be performed for cosmetic reasons.