More on Periodontal Surgery
Periodontal procedures are available to lay the groundwork for restorative and cosmetic dentistry and/or to improve the aesthetics of your gum line.
Crown Lengthening
Periodontal procedures are available to lay the groundwork for restorative and cosmetic dentistry and/or to improve the esthetics of your gum line.
Your dentist or periodontist may also recommend crown lengthening to make a restorative or cosmetic dental procedure possible. Perhaps your tooth is decayed, broken below the gum line, or has insufficient tooth structure for a restoration, such as a crown or bridge. Crown lengthening adjusts the gum and bone level to expose more of the tooth so it can be restored so you may not have to extract that tooth after all.
You may have asked your periodontist about procedures to improve a "gummy" smile because your teeth appear short. Your teeth may actually be the proper lengths, but they're covered with too much gum tissue. To correct this, your periodontist performs crown lengthening. If the length of the teeth appears correct, lip re-positioning may be indicated
During this procedure, excess gum and bone tissue is reshaped to expose more of the natural tooth. This can be done to one tooth, to even your gum line, or to several teeth to expose a natural, broad smile.
What are the benefits of this procedure?
Whether you have crown lengthening to improve function or esthetics, patients often receive the benefits of both: a beautiful new smile and improved periodontal health – your keys to smiling, eating and speaking with comfort and confidence.
© American Academy of Periodontology and Perio.org, 08/18/2011
Pocket Reduction
In dentistry pocket reduction surgery is a periodontal surgery performed in order to reduce the probeable depth of the gingival sulcus (known as a periodontal pocket, in disease) to allow for less plaque accumulation and greater access for hygiene. Reducing the depths of the periodontal pockets eliminates an environment that is hospitable for the more virulent periodontal pathogens.
Gum Grafting
Depending on the shape of the gum recession and the levels of bone around the teeth, areas of gum recession can be regenerated with new gum tissue using a variety of gum grafting procedures. While gum augmentation is easy to obtain, root coverage is sometimes more diffcult to obtain. These procedures are typically completed under local anesthesia with or without conscious sedation, as the patient prefers. This may involve repositioning of adjacent gum tissue to cover the recession (called a pedicle graft), or use of a free graft of gingiva, or connective tissue from the roof of the mouth. Alternatively, donor tissue, either animal or human in origin, may be used instead of tissue from the patient's own palate.
Lip Re-positioning
Some people have a gummy smile, this is when excessive gingiva shows during a conscious smile. It is now possible to do something about this in many cases, by undergoing a simple corrective surgery. The upper lip of a patient with a gummy smile often appears thin. After the lip repositioning procedure, the upper lip usually has a "fuller" appearance.
