Familiar Periodontic Treatments and Procedures

Various treatments and procedures fall under the umbrella of periodontics. The treatments range from scaling and root planing to somewhat complicated surgeries, tray delivery systems, and more. The dentist near me performs various treatments needed by patients enabling them to have healthy gums and teeth.

This blog looks at some of the most common periodontics treatments and procedures to help you understand what the specialty of periodontics is.

What Is Periodontics?

Periodontics is a division of dentistry dealing with the supporting structures surrounding the teeth collectively known as the periodontium. The periodontal systems around the tooth include:

• The gingiva and the gums.
• The alveolar bone or jaw.
• The cementum connecting the tooth to the jawbone anchoring it to the periodontal ligament, the periodontal ligament holding the tooth in place in the jawbone.

Procedures Performed by Periodontics Specialists

Scaling and Root Planning

Periodontics near me performs scaling and root planning, a process to clean the root surfaces as a measure to eliminate plaque and tartar. Scaling and root planning helps combat bacterial toxins. This process is followed by adjunctive therapy such as systemic antibiotics or host modulation. Most periodontists admit that patients may not require additional treatment following scaling and root planning but ongoing maintenance therapy is essential to sustain the patient’s health.

Periodontics Tray Delivery Systems

Presently periodontics in Houston, TX, takes impressions of the patient’s mouth to create a tray delivery system. The impressions enable the creation of a custom-made tray the patient can use at home for medication delivery prescribed by the dentist. Periodontics trays are similar to fluoride trays used by general dentists when combating tooth decay. These drug delivery systems are considered as successful for nonsurgical periodontal therapy.

Dental Implant Placement

These days many people are seeking teeth replacement solutions with dental implants. Dental implant placement requires patients to have an artificial tooth root made from titanium inserted into their jawbone’s allowing it to fuse with the jawbone in a process called osseointegration. People can have an artificial tooth connected to the implanted post following the healing period. Periodontics in Houston, TX, frequently performs implant placement surgery for many patients seeking replacements for lost teeth.

Soft Tissue Grafting

Soft tissue grafting is a periodontics surgery requiring using gum tissue from beyond the area that needs treatment. The palate or other sources are used for taking the gum tissue to cover the exposed tooth root. Soft tissue grafting is performed on one or more teeth to even the gum line and minimizes sensitivity.

Regeneration

Another periodontal surgical procedure is regeneration, where the periodontist folds back the gum tissue to eradicate bacteria. The periodontist uses everything from membranes to proteins that help stimulate tissue to bone grafts to kickstart the body’s inherent ability to regenerate bone along with the tissue.

Gingivectomy

Gingivectomy is also known as gingival sculpting or crown lengthening. In this periodontal surgery, extra tissue is eliminated from the patient’s mouth under local anesthesia. The healing time for the gums is approximately a week. The eventual result is the reshaping of unwanted gum and bone tissue, exposing the natural tooth. This process by periodontics evens the gum line when performed on a single tooth. If gingivectomy is performed on several teeth, it provides a lovely broad smile.

As can be seen, periodontal specialists perform different procedures as needed by patients either for health or cosmetic reasons. The most standard treatments performed by periodontics in Houston are scaling and root planning. Many people are affected by gum disease, and visit them for treatments when they develop tender and bleeding gums in their mouths.

Gum disease is an entirely preventable condition by maintaining proper dental hygiene and visiting dentists frequently for cleanings and exams. Neglecting the two enables plaque buildup on the teeth to harden into tartar needing professional treatments from the dentist. Root planning and scaling are effective in eliminating the initial stages of gum disease from patient’s mouths. However, patients neglecting the condition and allowing it to progress to advanced periodontal disease must maintain the issue throughout their lives with frequent visits to a periodontics specialist near them and may require any other procedures described in this blog for maintaining their periodontal status.

The dental specialty of periodontics prevents, diagnoses, and treats periodontal conditions of all types and is a division created specifically to deal with these issues.