What Are the Classifications of Periodontal Disease?

Your gums play a crucial role in maintaining beautiful and healthy teeth. Unfortunately, they receive less care than your teeth, which shouldn’t be the case. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss globally. For this reason, it is essential to visit our dentist at The Dentists at 650 Heights Houston, Texas, regular visits to have your gums checked and be advised on the best way to take care of them.

Classifications of Periodontal Disease Treatments and Procedures

Generally, there are several approaches periodontists and general dentists in Houston, TX, can use to treat periodontal disease. These treatments and procedures can be classified into four categories:

• Cosmetic Procedures
• Dental implant procedures
• Surgical treatment
• Non-surgical treatment

Gingivectomy/ Dental Crown Lengthening

Do you ever feel that your gums cover your teeth unevenly or that your smile is too gummy? If the answer is affirmative, you’d benefit from a dental crown lengthening procedure. The procedure involves removing excess gum tissue under anaesthesia to expose your tooth crown more. Gingivectomy adjusts the bone and gum level, unveiling a more significant portion of the tooth so it can be restored. The result is a confident brand new smile.

Gum Graft Surgery

Gum recession caused by periodontal disease could expose your teeth roots, making your teeth appear longer. If this happens, you might want to consider gum graft surgery. This procedure is tailored to conceal exposed roots and stop any further gum recession. During a gum graft surgery, our dentist takes a portion of gum tissue from your palate or an alternative donor source to conceal the exposed root. The procedure can be done on a single or multiple teeth and aids in reducing tooth sensitivity and improving your smile aesthetics.

Ridge Augmentation

Tooth loss can cause an indentation in the jawbone and gums. The indention gives your dental cavity an unnatural look and affects the success of replacement teeth. To correct this defect, our general dentist Houston, TX, may perform a ridge augmentation procedure to recapture your jaw and gum’s natural contour. They may then insert a dental implant that resembles the rest of your teeth and is easy to maintain.

Scaling and Root Planing

This procedure involves thoroughly cleaning the root surfaces to rid them of tartar and plaque. It combats bacterial toxins. Scaling and root planning can be followed with adjunctive therapy such as host modulation or systemic antibiotics. While most periodontists argue that you won’t require additional treatment after this procedure, you will need maintenance therapy for health sustenance.

Periodontal Pocket Procedures

Your bone and gum tissue ought to fit perfectly around your teeth. However, if you have been afflicted with periodontal disease, this anchoring tissue and bone will be damaged. As a result, ‘pockets’ will start forming around your teeth. With time, the ‘pockets’ become more profound, allowing more space for the accumulation and advancement of bacteria under the gum tissue. Resultantly, you could suffer tissue and bone loss. If you lose too much bone, your teeth will have to be removed.

During a periodontal pocket procedure, our dentist pulls back the gum tissue exposing the disease-causing bacteria. After removing the bacteria, they secure the tissue back into place. Sometimes, our periodontist may smoothen the damaged bone’s irregular surfaces to limit points where disease-causing bacteria can hide. The process enables the gum tissue to reattach to healthy bone.

Dental Implant Procedures

A dental implant is technically an artificial tooth root placed in the jaw to anchor a prosthetic tooth or bridge. People who have lost one or more teeth due to periodontal disease, injuries or other reasons might find this treatment option helpful. Also, if you do not want to wear dentures, you can opt to undergo a dental implant procedure. However, not everyone is a candidate for this procedure. To qualify for the dental implant procedure, you must have the following:

• Good oral and general health
• Sufficient bone in the jaw to anchor the implant
• Healthy gum tissues devoid of periodontal infection

After getting your implants, remember that just like your natural teeth, they require oral care for longevity. Therefore, you will need to brush and floss to keep them clean.

The Best Periodontics in Houston, TX

Are you looking for reputable periodontics in Houston, TX, for your next dentist appointment? Come meet our team at The Dentists at 650 Heights and experience high-quality dental care. Our periodontics near you will first utilize non-surgical methods before resolving to surgical methods such as tissue grafts and pocket reduction.