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Crown Lengthening
Reshape the gum and underlying bone in order to expose more tooth.
When your dentist needs more tooth structure to place a crown or treat a cavity, a crown lengthening procedure is required. It is commonly used to repair a tooth that is fractured or decayed along the gum line. With the procedure, we reshape the gum and underlying bone in order to expose more tooth. The result is better access and more tooth for your dentist to work with. The ultimate result is a better fitting and longer lasting crown or filling.
Aesthetic Crown Lengthening
For people who have a “gummy smile” or teeth that look short or small because of excess gum covering the tooth, aesthetic crown lengthening may be required. The surgery results in a smile that is dramatically improved.
Frenectomy
The frenum is a muscle which anchors the lip to the jawbone. For many adolescents and young adults, this muscle extends too close to the edge of the gum and inserts deep between the front two teeth (upper or lower teeth). With a frenectomy, the muscle is trimmed away and a small piece of tissue is usually grafted in its place. The grafted tissue assures the frenum will not re-attach in its original position and assures a beautiful aesthetic result.
Osseous Surgery
When scaling and root planning proves ineffective, osseous surgery may be required. With the aid of local anesthesia, the gum tissue is reflected in order to expose the calculus (tartar) adhering to the roots of your teeth. With direct vision, using magnifying loops combined with fiberoptic lighting and optimal access, the plaque and tartar is removed and the roots are cleaned. With simple aeration and irrigation, the disease-causing bacteria are destroyed and the bone is sometimes re-contoured to its original shape. The gum tissue is then repositioned around the teeth and tightly sutured in place. It is, again, critical that the success of this procedure be documented four to six weeks after treatment.
Antibiotic Therapy
Antibiotic Therapy is the use of chemical agents in the treatment or control of disease. Research in this area of our field has grown in leaps and bounds over the past ten to fifteen years. Rarely are these agents used by themselves and never should they be used without clear indication and even clearly goals of therapy.
Some examples are:
✓ Emdogain (grafting product with its main ingredient being Amelogenin, a protein involved in the creation of teeth and supporting structures).
✓ Arestin is an antibiotic which we are able to inject between the gum and tooth in a very localized manner.
✓ Periostat is a drug used to combat periodontal disease by interfering with the body’s production of an enzyme.