Periodontics in Melrose, MA
Periodontics is a branch of dentistry that focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of gum diseases and other conditions affecting the tissues that support your teeth. This includes the gums, bone, and connective tissues.
Common periodontal treatments at Pan Dental Care include deep cleanings, gum grafts, and dental implants, as well as treatment for advanced gum disease (periodontitis) to help prevent tooth loss and maintain overall oral health.
Think of periodontics as the foundation care for your smile, ensuring the structures holding your teeth stay strong and healthy.
Periodontal (Gum) Disease
Periodontal disease is an infection of your gum tissue, usually caused by poor oral hygiene habits. If brushing and flossing is not done at least twice a day, and you’re not visiting our Melrose dental office for checkups and professional cleanings twice a year, plaque will build up on the teeth and eventually harden. This is the beginning stage of periodontal disease. Over time, advanced stages of periodontal disease can lead to sore and bleeding gums, discomfort with chewing, and tooth loss. At the advanced stages, regular dental cleanings will no longer help the infection.
Periodontal Exams
A periodontal exam from Pan Dental Care is a comprehensive evaluation of your gums and the structures supporting your teeth. It begins with a review of your medical and dental history, including any symptoms like bleeding gums, bad breath, or loose teeth. Our Melrose, MA dentist will examine your gums for signs of redness, swelling, or recession and use a small probe to measure the depth of the pockets between your gums and teeth. They also check for areas where the gums may have detached from the teeth, which is a common indicator of gum disease. X-rays may be taken to assess the health of the bone supporting your teeth, and the stability of your teeth and bite alignment are also evaluated. This thorough assessment helps diagnose conditions like gingivitis or periodontitis, enabling us to recommend personalized treatment to restore and maintain your oral health.
Oral Cancer Screenings
Our Melrose, MA dentist performs oral cancer screenings to check for any precancerous or cancerous conditions in the mouth. An oral cancer screening is completed with ultraviolet light that allows our dental team to view issues that cannot be detected with the naked eye.
Precancerous lesions identified under this light are much easier to remove and are more likely to be cured.
Scaling and Root Planing
This procedure is a much deeper cleaning than the routine cleanings you would get twice a year. First, scaling is done to remove plaque and other residue from the surface of your teeth, to clear the way for a deeper clean. After applying a local anesthetic, our Melrose dentist will perform root planing by cleaning out the plaque from below your gum line. Together, these methods have been effective in treating periodontal disease and allowing the gums and surrounding bone to heal.
Gingivectomy
A gingivectomy is a surgical procedure that involves removing excess or diseased gum tissue to improve oral health and the appearance of the gums. It is commonly performed to treat gum disease, especially when deep pockets have formed between the teeth and gums, making it difficult to clean and prevent infection. During the procedure, we’ll numb the area and carefully remove the excess tissue, reshaping the gums for better function and aesthetics.
Bone Grafting and Augmentation
Periodontal bone augmentation is a procedure used to rebuild or regenerate lost bone around teeth or dental implants. Bone loss often occurs due to advanced gum disease (periodontitis), trauma, or missing teeth. This procedure is essential for providing a stable foundation for teeth and supporting structures.
During the procedure, our experienced dentist places bone graft material—either synthetic, natural, or a combination—into the affected area. Sometimes, a membrane or other regenerative techniques are used to guide bone growth and protect the site during healing. Over time, the graft integrates with the natural bone, promoting new bone growth and restoring strength to the area.
Soft Tissue (Gum) Graft
Gum recession occurs when the tissue surrounding each tooth pulls away, exposing more of the tooth or the tooth root. This exposure can cause significant damage to the supporting bone, in addition to causing tooth sensitivity. Gum recession happens over time, so you may not notice when it’s happening. If left untreated, gum recession will result in tooth loss.
Gum grafting repairs this damage before it gets even worse. Tissue is taken from the top of your mouth or another source and is sewed to the gum area, covering the roots and restoring the gum line to its original, healthy location.
Crown Lengthening
Cosmetic gum surgery, or gum contouring, can solve a variety of cosmetic issues relating to the proportions of your teeth and your gums. If you have a “gummy smile,” or too much gum tissue covering your teeth, your teeth might appear smaller than you’d like. With the use of a laser or scalpel for soft tissue, we can remove excess gum tissue to achieve a more proportional smile.
Dental Implants
A dental implant is a metal post, usually made of titanium, that is embedded into the jawbone to replace the root portion of a missing tooth. A replacement tooth is then attached to the post to complete the restoration. Permanent replacement teeth are more stable and feel more like natural teeth.
Implants can be used to replace a single tooth, multiple teeth, or a full arch of teeth. They can also be used to anchor dentures in place for a more stable smile.