Periodontal or gum disease happens when bacteria gets below the gum line and the attachment between the gum and tooth is lost.
Gum disease is a silent, chronic, painless and communicable bacterial infection that often goes undetected or ignored until severe gum and bone destruction is unbearable and no longer able to be ignored. Left untreated, gum disease can cause tooth loss and traditional treatment can hurt.
The latest conservative gum therapy uses a laser. The laser gently disinfects and evaporates diseased tissues from around the tooth and inside the gum pocket. This treatment interrupts the bacterial destruction of the tissues and bone, giving the gum pocket a chance to heal. Systematic repeated visits, generally 2-8, allow the gum pocket to be disease-free and sometimes allow tissues to reattach to the pocket to a normal or near-normal depth.
The Laser therapy is gentle, less painful, and has a quick recovery. While surgery may still be indicated for severely advanced periodontal cases, laser therapy is a much more conservative, effective and comfortable option for beginning to moderate periodontal cases.
Bone Grafting
The oldest technique used in regeneration surgery calls for placing various materials in the bone defect, to stimulate the patient's bone to re-grow. Bone grafting has been used for over 75 years, but today's materials are much superior in stimulating new bone to form. The implanted material is resorbed by the body, and after 6-12 months has completely disappeared, replaced by new bone. Various materials are available, with the selection made on a case by case basis.
Placing synthetic bone
Synthetic bone placed in defect
Synthetic bone stimulates patient's natural bone to regenerate
