Periodontics & Implant Dentistry

What is Periodontics?

Periodontics is the dental speciality which involves surgical and non-surgical periodontal management of the hard and soft (gum) tissues that support the teeth. This includes the reconstruction of soft tissue and bone deficits (tissue recession), often referred to as 'plastic surgery for the gums'.

What is gum disease?

This occurs in many adults, where teeth lose their soft tissue and bone support, leading to tooth sensitivity, unsightly gaps between teeth, root decay and even loss of teeth. Routine gum (periodontal) treatments, eg tooth and root scaling, are performed by general dentists and hygienists. However, there are very few specialists in periodontics – these are dentists with additional training and qualifications in the provision of advanced gum treatments and dental implants.

What’s does specialist periodontal treatment do?

Non-surgical treatments include deep cleaning of infected gum tissues. Surgical work, the ‘plastic surgery of dentistry’, involves tissue grafts to reconstruct lost soft tissues (for severe gum recession), cosmetic sculpting of the gum and bone tissues, plus all aspects of dental implantology.

Examples of our

treatments

Gum reconstruction and augmentation of the teeth

This patient had widespread gum recession causing an elongated appearance of the teeth, and gaps ('black triangles') where the inter-dental gum tissue was absent. Treatment involved gum reconstruction and augmentation of the teeth using tooth-coloured materials.

Recontoured gum

Periodontal surgery has recontoured the gum and underlying bone height of these incisor teeth, to create a much more proportionate and aesthetic appearance (complimented by dental veneers).

Gum tissue graft

This patient had suffered severe localised loss of gum tissue, and was suffering chronic tooth sensitivity. Treatment involved a gum tissue graft to reconstruct the lost tissue and cover the exposed tooth root surface.

Dental Implants

The central incisor tooth shown on the left side (covered by a crown) is no longer viable. It's also aesthetically handicapped by the the adjacent gum recession, which gives it the appearance of an elongated crown length. The failing incisor tooth has been replaced by a dental implant, with associated bone and soft tissue graft procedures. Hence the missing tooth, supporting bone and gum tissues have all been replaced for the optimal (natural looking) aesthetic and functional result.

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What are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are biocompatible titanium alloy screws inserted in the jaw bone. Each implant is held in place by a biological healing process know as osseo-integration, meaning that the implant acts as a permanent base for either a dental crown or bridge, hence mimicking a tooth root.

Implant placement may require various bone and soft tissue augmentation procedures, depending on the amount of previous bone loss (due to infections and the removal of a tooth). In general, the greater the tissue loss then the more complex the implant treatment process. This is why the specialist training and skills of a periodontist are often highly beneficial.

The restoration of dental implants ranges from a single tooth crown to full mouth reconstruction techniques.

The dental implant is shown on the x-ray. The white insides of both central incisor crowns are also seen on the x-ray.

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What is Periodontics?

What is gum disease?

What’s does specialist periodontal treatment do?

Examples of our