Periodontics 

Treatment and prevention of gum disease. 

Sometimes patients require specialist gum care to help them combat the more serious form of gum disease, periodontitis. This can cause symptoms including sore, swollen or bleeding gums and bad breath, and if left untreated can lead to loose teeth which can even fall out. 

Gum disease can be silent, so it’s important to get a professional to check for signs regularly. As with any disease, if caught early it is much easier treat, with better results.

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Treatments

Crown lengthening

There are two kinds of crown lengthening procedures. The first is aesthetic to improve or enhance the appearance, the second is functional in order to increase a tooth structural integrity.

Aesthetic Crown Lengthening

You may have asked your periodontist about procedures to improve a "gummy" smile because your teeth appear short. Your teeth may actually be the proper lengths, but they're covered with too much gum tissue. To correct this, your periodontist performs a dental crown lengthening procedure.


    Treatments

    Crown lengthening

    During the dental crown lengthening procedure, excess gum and bone tissue is reshaped to expose more of the natural tooth. This can be done to one tooth, to even your gum line, or to several teeth to expose a natural, broad smile.

    Functional Crown Lengthening 

    Your dentist or periodontist may also recommend crown lengthening to make a restorative or cosmetic dental procedure possible. Perhaps your tooth is decayed, broken below the gum line, or has insufficient tooth structure for a restoration, such as a crown or bridge. Crown lengthening adjusts the gum and bone level to expose more of the tooth so it can be restored.

      Treatments

      Chronic periodontitis

      Chronic periodontitis ('gum disease') represents a major health problem in the UK. Surveys show that more than 50% of the population currently experience some degree of damage to bone or the soft tissues supporting the teeth. 

      Approximately 10-15% of the population will lose a significant number of teeth as a result of chronic periodontitis: the more susceptible the patient, the more rapidly the bone loss progresses. 

      In addition, around 1% of the population is susceptible to the aggressive forms of periodontitis. These patients can present with advanced levels of attachment (bone) loss and pocketing in their twenties or thirties. 

      Although many patients do not immediately link their symptoms with gum disease, other patients report concerns with bleeding gums, drifting or loose teeth, a lack of mouth freshness or discomfort when eating, all of which are associated with periodontitis. 

      Early diagnosis is important for periodontitis in order both to simplify treatment and improve prognosis.

      Treatment of chronic periodontitis is highly successful in keeping teeth and improving both comfort and confidence.

        Treatments

        Periodontal plastic surgery

        Periodontal plastic surgery can successfully deal with problems such as excessive recession around teeth that cause aesthetic and sensitivity problems.

        Gum tissue can change or even shrink. There are many reasons for this, including receding gums (from gingivitis or periodontal disease), and loss of one or more teeth (which causes tooth-less gum tissue to shrink).

        Soft tissue grafts are small pieces of tissue taken from other areas such as the palate and surgically implanted in the affected area. Grafts can correct those dental deformities and other problems such as severe gum disease, as well as cover exposed roots, stop bone loss, the recession of gums, and even reduce pain-causing root sensitivity. Practically the use of soft tissue grafts can increase the zone of keratinised tissue and cover exposed roots. They can also be used for ridge augmentation and papilla regeneration around implants.

        The use of microsurgical techniques (dental microscopes, magnifying loupes and microblades) has greatly enhanced the predictability and success rate whilst also minimising post-operative discomfort.

        Replacing lost gum tissue can restore the natural contour of your smile. Gum tissue can be augmented or replaced by a variety of means, including soft tissue grafts and relocating the existing gums in the correct position around the tooth.

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