Home care is an extremely important part of maintaining healthy teeth and gums, but even excellent home care cannot prevent bacteria and plaque. If the plaque is not removed, it can harden, becoming calculus. We will recommend a periodontal maintenance program that is best for you based on how quickly you develop calculus and your past and current periodontal health. During your maintenance visits, we will perform an oral examination as well as a dental cleaning.
Cosmetic periodontal surgery includes, but is not limited to Crown Lengthening, Soft Tissue Grafts, and Bone Grafting. These procedures can enhance your smile by correcting problems like long or short teeth, uneven gum line, receding gums, exposed roots, and indentations in the gums or jawbone.
Periodontal Maintenance Program
During an oral examination, a visual inspection is performed to detect normal and abnormal structures of the entire mouth, head and neck. Along with radiographs, an examination detects cavities, abnormalities in existing dental restorations, gum and bone recession, and any other abnormal findings within the mouth, head, and neck
A dental cleaning, also known as an oral prophylaxis, is the removal of dental plaque and tartar (calculus) from the teeth. Specialized instruments are used to gently remove these deposits without harming the teeth. First, an ultrasonic device that emits vibrations and is cooled by water is used to loosen larger pieces of tartar. Next, hand tools are used to manually remove smaller deposits and smooth the tooth surfaces.
Scaling and Root Planing
Scaling and root planing is a non-surgical procedure used to treat gum disease. During the scaling process, specialized dental instruments are used to remove dental plaque and calculus from beneath the gums. Planing is the procedure used to smooth the tooth’s root after the scaling process. Root planing helps the gums heal and reattach themselves to a cleaner and smoother root surface.
Crown Lengthening
Crown lengthening is commonly used to expose more tooth structure, crown lengthening involves the removal of gum tissue and/or bone to expose more of a tooth’s structure.
Crown lengthening can effectively improve a tooth's appearance by adjusting the shape and length of the visible part of the tooth. A dental surgeon will do this by reshaping gum tissue and sometimes bone, exposing more of a tooth's surface. Crown lengthening is a relatively simple procedure that usually takes less than an hour.
Bone Grafting
Bone grafting is the replacement or enhancement of bone around teeth. When a tooth is lost, the surrounding bone collapses. Bone grafting is performed to reverse bone loss or enhance bone. The bone can be taken from parts of the body or from synthetic material. Bone grafting allows for proper support of dental implants or prostheses.
Contact us anytime at 212-687-3808.