Cosmetic Gum Surgery Rochester

Healthy teeth need healthy supporting tissues around them. Your gum and bone (called the “periodontium”) should closely snug the tooth providing it with the support it needs. Periodontal disease destroys those supporting tissues, thus creating space, or “pockets” around the teeth.

These pockets are hard or even impossible to reach with regular brushing, so bacteria develop and thrive in these pockets. This causes further destruction of the periodontium and deepening of the pockets. This destructive process continues until there is not enough support for the tooth and it needs to be extracted.

In order to prevent tooth loss when deep pockets are present, a surgical procedure is needed. During the procedure, the gums are carefully moved away from the tooth, the pocket is cleaned, any diseased bone is removed, and then the gums are reattached to the clean, healthy bone for a snug fit around the tooth. With proper oral hygiene and regular professional maintenance cleaning, the periodontal disease and pockets should not reoccur.

Bone and gums are designed to fit snugly around teeth. Through periodontal disease, these supporting tissues (or periodontium) are destroyed and pockets develop. Eventually, when too much bone is lost, the teeth need to be extracted. To stop the process and save the tooth, surgery is needed (see also “Pocket Depth Reduction”). New advancements in techniques and materials are now available to promote the regeneration of the supporting tissues. Special membranes, bone grafts, and tissue-stimulating proteins are used to encourage your body’s natural ability to regenerate both bone and gum tissue. With new and regenerated periodntium, most of the disease damage can be reversed allowing a faster and better outcome.

The tooth root should be naturally covered by the gums. Gum recession causes the tooth root to be exposed. There are several reasons for gum recession, including genetics, previous dental procedures, aggressive tooth brushing, periodontal disease, and others. Exposed roots not only affect the aesthetic appearance of your smile, but are also very sensitive to hot, cold, or even sour foods and drinks. In order to restore comfort and aesthetics, a surgical procedure, called soft tissue grafting, is needed to cover the exposed roots. A tissue graft is placed and sutured over the recession areas. Eventually, the graft will blend naturally with the surrounding gums for a beautiful and comfortable result. Further root exposure can usually be prevented by addressing the reasons for the gum recession.  If a soft tissue graft is needed, as a part of your Rochester gum surgery, rest assured Dr. Zahavi and his team have you covered.

Just like natural teeth, dental implants should be cared for by regular brushing at home, cleaning between the teeth/implants, and regular professional cleaning by a periodontal hygienist. Unfortunately, sometimes even the best-placed implants may be compromised by gum disease (called peri-implantitis) around them. If left untreated, peri-implantitis may eventually cause the implant to fail and require the removal of the implant. Our team is experienced at recognizing the earliest signs of any implant problem. With regular periodontal and implant evaluations, we can intervene at the early disease stages in order to stop and reverse any further complications. Let our knowledgable team help you maintain your implants for a life-long treatment success.

The laser is a narrow beam of light energy. We often use the laser in a minimally invasive technique to kill all the disease-causing bacteria in deep periodontal pockets, thus allowing the periodontal tissues to heal and be free of disease. The dental applications of the laser beam provide new treatment options to many of or patients. Come talk to us to see if you can benefit from the laser technology.

Regular brushing and cleaning between the teeth is crucial in maintaining oral hygiene and ensuring the long term success of your treatment. Depending on your periodontal condition, Dr. Zahavi will recommend regular professional cleaning visits with a periodontal hygienist.

Our certified periodontal hygienists have vast experience working with patients with periodontal disease or previous treatments. With a gentle touch, they are experts in thorough cleaning and noticing the smallest signs of disease that may require further attention. They take pride in educating our patients about the best oral-care routines and are especially happy to see our patients maintain a healthy smile for life.