Periodontics
At Austin Family Dentistry we offer in-house periodontics to provide our patients with effective solutions for all of their periodontal needs. Periodontics is simply a type of corrective dentistry that concerns itself with the surrounding structures and support of the teeth. We offer a variety of periodontal treatments that can restore your smile to its former glory, and restore your mouth to its normal function.
Periodontitis, also known as periodontal disease, is a common infection that damages the supporting soft tissue and bone. The alveolar bone surrounding the teeth will progressively erode without treatment.
If typical dental hygiene and dental scaling and cleaning is not enough to fix periodontitis, periodontal surgery may be required.
Fortunately, this is a common practice that requires only a local anesthetic. Surgery can help to remove plaque bacteria in gum pockets and along the roots where the roots of the teeth are divided. It may also require regenerative treatments to restore gum tissue or bone loss from periodontitis.
Crown Lengthening
Some individuals find themselves with a smile that seems to share an excessive amount of the gums. This can be due to either excessive gum tissue or short teeth. Periodontal work is often required in these situations to perform a dental crown lengthening procedure to remedy this.
These types of patients that need crowns are at risk of not having enough exposed teeth to effectively attach a crown.
Crown lengthening is performed by dental surgeons by recontouring gingival tissue and sometimes bone to expose more tooth surface for a crown. It is a routine procedure that typically requires less than an hour to complete.
Gum Grafting
Patients often experience gum recession, which can be a result of gaps in dental hygiene, such as minimal flossing efforts or incomplete teeth brushing. Due to the recession of the gums, the root of the teeth can become exposed. This can lead to loosened or weakened teeth that if left unchecked can end in teeth falling out.
Gum grafting will help to prevent further recession and bone loss by covering the root and restoring gum function. The process involves taking gum tissue from the roof of your mouth or other qualified source and using it to cover the exposed root. Gum graft surgery may reduce tooth sensitivity and enhance the aesthetics of your smile, and can be performed on a single tooth or multiple teeth.
Recovery from gum grafting usually takes one to two weeks, and requires a disciplined recovery period avoiding certain foods and beverages to ensure the success of the procedure.
Extractions
Our primary objective at Austin Family Dentistry is always to protect and preserve your natural teeth. However, sometimes a tooth can be so severely damaged or decayed that it is beyond restoration. In this circumstance, tooth extraction is the optimal solution.
During a tooth extraction, Your dentist will anesthetize the area encircling the affected tooth. Next, they will carefully remove the tooth and suture the area, if necessary. Gently biting on gauze can aid in stopping or slowing bleeding.
Don’t worry. We won’t leave you with a gap in your teeth. We will determine how much recovery time, if any, is necessary and then work on putting in a dental implant to fill the gap and restore your smile.
Implant Placement
Dental implants are synthetic titanium roots that are surgically implanted by a dentist into the jawbone to replace a missing tooth. This titanium is intended to be exceedingly biocompatible with human bone, just like hip and other joint replacements.
Dental implants can be used to replace a single missing tooth, multiple missing teeth, or even an entire arch of missing teeth. Your dentist will determine the number of strategically positioned roots necessary to sustain the required solution.
Periodontal Consultation
While most issues involving periodontics are revealed during your routine checkup and cleaning, give Austin Family Practice a call if you believe there is an imminent issue with your dental status that needs attention. If you are experiencing consistent pain and discomfort, you will need to have a dentist look over the issue and determine if periodontal work is required.