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As periodontal disease progresses, the pockets that form between the teeth and gums become deeper and the bacteria that develops around the teeth accumulates and advances under the gum tissue. The result is damage to the supporting tissues and loss of bone.
To prevent further damage to the bone and gum tissues caused by the progression of the disease and infection, it is necessary to reduce the pocket depth and eliminate the existing bacteria. The procedure to reduce the pockets involves folding back the gum tissue and removing the bacteria that causes the disease, then securing the gum tissue in place.
It may also be necessary to smooth irregular surfaces of the damaged bone and reshape it. This makes it more difficult for bacteria to accumulate and grow and increases the chance of saving teeth that otherwise would have been lost.
Regenerative procedures are recommended when the bone supporting the teeth has been destroyed. These procedures can actually reverse some of the damage by regenerating lost bone and tissue. Typically the procedures involve folding the gum tissues and removing the bacteria that cause the disease. Then special membranes, or bone grafts, can be used to encourage tissue and bone regeneration.
If teeth are decayed or broken below the gum line, crown lengthening is often necessary in order to restore the teeth. Since the procedure adjusts the gum and bone levels to expose more of the tooth surface, it is easier to restore these teeth with cosmetic fillings and crowns.
Crown lengthening is often performed for cosmetic purposes, as well. One such indication is crown lengthening to improve a “gummy” smile. This involves reshaping excess gum and bone tissue to expose more of the natural tooth. The procedures can be performed for a single tooth to even the gum line or for multiple teeth to improve the appearance of the entire smile.
Although gum recession can be caused by a variety of reasons, the most common cause is aggressive tooth brushing. Gum recession results in exposed tooth roots. Covering the roots that make the teeth look too long will improve the esthetic appearance of the smile. This will also solve the problem of root sensitivity to hot and cold and protect the roots from decay.
Soft tissue graft procedures involve adding soft tissue to reinforce thin gums or repair the defect caused by gum recession. This procedure will also help to prevent additional recession and bone loss.
We offer our patients a variety of esthetic periodontal plastic and reconstructive procedures to enhance the appearance of the teeth and smile. One of the most common esthetic procedures is anterior crown lengthening to improve a “gummy” smile. This procedure involves reshaping the gum and bone tissue to expose more of the natural tooth, or “lengthen” it.
Soft tissue grafts are often used to cover exposed tooth roots, which enhances the appearance of the smile by creating a more natural-looking gum line and teeth that are the proper size and shape. Dr. Beagle has a special interest in these and other periodontal plastic surgery procedures.
Dr. Beagle was the first periodontist in Indiana to integrate the surgical operating microscope into the practice of periodontic therapy, and remains one of the only a small number of periodontists in the midwest trained to perform periodontal microsurgery.
Dr. Beagle utilizes the surgical microscope and microscopic surgical techniques extensively, as their benefits are well-documented within the clinical literature. Skilled use of the microscope allows for:
- a much less invasive surgical technique
- less trauma to the tissues during surgery
- better visualization during the procedure
- faster healing
- improved esthetics
- less post-operative discomfort
A frenectomy is a surgical procedure performed to release small elastic fibers (the frenum) which put tension on the gum tissue and can limit tongue mobility, cause large spaces or diastemas between teeth, interfere with a prosthetic appliance, and/or cause gum recession.
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