BOYNTON BEACH & BOCA RATON
PERIODONTAL SURGERY
The health of the gums affects the health of the teeth. Diseased gums can wreak havoc on the jawbone, permanently damaging a person’s teeth. While medication does help prevent the onset of gum disease, surgery is most effective when the gums are already infected, and the patient requires immediate corrective assistance.
Periodontal surgery is the surgical treatment for periodontal disease (also known as gum disease). The periodontal surgery Boynton Beach team at Somi Dental Group & Orthodontics have extensive experience handling cases of mild to severe gum disease. Feel free to reach out to us for information about our periodontal surgical procedures.
WHERE ARE WE?
We are a top-rated Boynton Beach dental group and service patients in the neighboring areas of Coral Gables, Pinecrest, and Coconut Grove. You can visit our clinic any day of the week.
CAUSE OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE
Periodontal disease typically occurs as a result of poor oral hygiene. A person usually has bacteria in his mouth, which don’t harm him, if they are at a controlled, safe level. However, when a person fails to brush their teeth properly or use mouthwash or floss regularly, the food and beverages consumed leave behind a trail of sugars and chemicals, which are conducive for the growth of large amounts of mouth bacteria.
This explosion of bacterial population in the mouth can cause dental plaque to form, which in turn can cause the gums to be inflamed. This inflammation, which is the first sign of periodontal disease, is called gingivitis. When this infection sets in full-fledged and starts affecting the gums, teeth and jaw bones, a periodontal pocket is formed. This pocket makes the teeth structurally weak and may result in gum bleeding. When this happens, it is known as periodontal disease. At its most severe, this disease results in tooth and jaw deformity.
SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION
WHY MIGHT SOMEONE HAVE PERIODONTAL DISEASE?
Some other reasons for periodontal disease are:
- Genetics
- Hormone imbalance
- Smoking
- Dryness from mouth breathing (due to a breathing condition)
- Extensive grinding or clenching of the teeth
- Side effects of medication
WHAT MAKES UP THE PERIODONTIUM?
The periodontium is the part of the mouth that constitutes the:
Gingiva – This is the soft tissue that lines the mouth and supports the teeth. In layman’s terms, gingiva refers to the gums.
Alveolar bone proper – This is the bone on both the upper jaw and the lower jaw, which contains tooth sockets and into which each tooth is attached.
Cementum – This is a type of calcified substance that covers the roots of the teeth and helps stabilize the teeth as they attach to the alveolar bone.
Periodontal ligament – This is a set of ligaments that attach the teeth to the alveolar bone.
When periodontal disease occurs, any one or all four of these constituents of the periodontium may be affected. However, the part of the periodontium that is most vulnerable to infection is the gingiva or the gums.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT?
At Somi Dental Group & Orthodontics, our periodontal surgery Boynton Beach specialists are highly-experienced in performing all types of periodontal surgery. The procedure starts with the consultation, where our primary dentist, Dr. Arnaldo A Lopez (DDS), will evaluate the condition of your gums and determine whether the surgery is the right option for you or not.
This surgery is typically recommended to people who have experienced extensive damage to their gums and teeth due to the presence of dental plaque. If the dentist finds any pockets around the teeth, as a result of the plaque, he may recommend surgery to reshape and reform the gums and teeth.
The consultation is the best time for patients to get acquainted with the results they can expect from this treatment. Unlike other medical procedures, the periodontal surgery isn’t a one-time-fix for gum disease. It is more of a temporary fix, which will provide patients with a new opportunity, a clean slate, to restart good oral behaviors and take care of their oral health.
WHAT IS THE SURGICAL PROCEDURE
The first part of the surgery is designed to completely get rid of all the dental plaque, tartar and dental pockets a patient may have, as a result of the disease. If your gums are too thick, the surgeon may remove the excessive gums, in order to create more space around the teeth for cleaning and treatment. The second part of the surgery is designed to reshape any teeth that have been malformed or misshapen due to the disease. A gum graft may also be performed, where a tissue graft is taken from the roof of your mouth and surgically stitched onto your gums, to provide your newly-reshaped teeth structural stability.
LANAP PERIODONTAL REGENERATION AT SOMI
At Somi Dental Group & Orthodontics. Our dentists and orthodontists take periodontal surgery to a new level, through the state-of-the-art LANAP periodontal regeneration procedure.
This is a new FDA approved treatment for gum disease, that involves using laser to treat the affected area. A PerioLase MVP-7, laser is used to focus strong beams of laser light on the infected gums. The pulsations from the laser break down the plaque and the tartar formed on the teeth, while simultaneously killing the diseased gum tissue. The pulsations of the laser also stimulate the regeneration of healthy teeth and gum tissues, resulting in the growth of healthy and completely uninfected periodontium.
The LANAP periodontal regeneration offers some distinct benefits to patients and surgeons, over the traditional surgical treatment:
- It takes lesser time to perform the surgery.
- There is little to no blood loss during this minimally-invasive treatment.
- The laser light helps minimize the size of the pockets faster and to a significant degree.
- The laser slows down and in some cases stops the attachment loss experienced during gum disease.
- Surgeons have greater control over the treatment – only delicate tissues can be targeted, and the healthy tissues can remain untouched.
Recovery time is very short, and patients can get back to their normal routine within a few days.
It is for these very reasons that the LANAP periodontal regeneration treatment is perfect for adults and children alike. However, please note that surgery is recommended for children only when the disease is advanced and requires a stronger treatment. In less severe cases, our dentists will prescribe a new oral care procedure, medication or non-surgical plaque and tartar removal treatments.
Please feel free to contact us for more information about the LANAP periodontal procedure. We have a provided contact form for you, and one of our staff will contact you as soon as possible.
