Periodontics

Periodontal disease starts when plaque toxins attack the gums, causing bacterial infections. This leads to inflammation, gum recession, and, if untreated, jawbone loss and unstable teeth. You may need treatment if you notice bleeding while eating or brushing, persistent bad breath, loose teeth or gum recession, or have related heart conditions like heart disease or diabetes. Treatment options include:

Gingivitis/Mild Periodontal Disease: Scaling and root planing to clean deep pockets and promote healing.
Moderate Periodontal Disease: Extensive cleaning, often under local anesthetic.
Advanced Periodontal Disease: Scaling, root planing, and potentially surgical treatments to reduce pocket depth.
Tooth Loss: Dental implants to replace missing teeth, with bone grafts if necessary for implant support.

Antibiotic Treatment

Antibiotics, used alone or with other treatments like scaling and root planing, can reduce bacteria before and after periodontal procedures. You may be prescribed oral antibiotics, topical gels, or strips. Antibiotics are highly effective in treating periodontal disease, offering noticeable improvements in gum health. We incorporate antibiotic treatments as needed to ensure optimal healing of your periodontal condition.

Bone Grafting

Bone grafting is crucial for replacing lost bone tissue and promoting natural bone growth. It’s often needed for dental implants, stopping gum disease, and enhancing your smile.

There are different types of bone grafts: Autogenous grafts use bone from your body (hip, chin, jaw), allografts use synthetic or cadaver bone, and xenografts use bovine (cow) bone.

Bone grafting serves to ensure dental implants have a strong anchor, elevate the sinus floor for implant placement, fill in bone ridges caused by trauma or disease, and move the nerve for implant placement.

Bruxism

Bruxism, or teeth grinding and jaw clenching, often occurs during sleep and can lead to significant damage if untreated. This condition results from an overactive chewing reflex and can cause symptoms like earache, headaches, and anxiety. Stress management and relaxation exercises can help, but common treatments include:

Mouthguards: Custom-made to protect teeth and stabilize the bite.
NTI-tss Device: Covers front teeth to reduce grinding.
Botox®: Injections to relax jaw muscles and prevent grinding.

Crown Lengthening

Crown lengthening reshapes gum and bone tissue to enhance dental health or prepare for cosmetic and restorative procedures. It’s ideal for correcting a “gummy” smile by exposing more of the natural tooth. It's worth considering for:

Restoration: Preparing damaged teeth for new restorations.
Cosmetic Improvement: Removing excess gum tissue for a balanced smile.
Dental Crowns: Providing space to prevent damage to gum tissues and bone.

Performed under local anesthetic, crown lengthening involves reshaping gums and possibly removing some bone. A small incision is made to access the teeth and a hand and rotary instrument is used for bone removal. Post-surgery, expect an improved tooth appearance and a healing period of about 2-3 months. Pain management and antimicrobial rinses may be prescribed.

SIROLaser®

At our Toronto clinic, we used advanced technology like the SIROLaser® to enhance your dental experience. This cutting-edge soft tissue laser improves comfort and accuracy, reducing the need for needles, scalpels, and drills.

Benefits of SIROLaser® include:

Reduced bacteria
Less need for anesthesia
Minimal post-operative pain and scarring
Faster healing with no stitches
More precise and quicker procedures

SIROLaser® works by emitting controlled light waves that cut, cauterize, and sterilize soft tissue, minimizing pain and swelling while speeding up recovery. It's versatile for various treatments such as root canals, extractions, implants, gum recontouring, and more.

Gum Recession

Receding gums, or the gradual loss of gum tissue, often leads to exposed tooth roots. Common in adults over 40, it can start as early as the teenage years and is often asymptomatic in its early stages. Symptoms of gum recession include sensitive teeth, visible roots, longer-looking teeth, and signs like halitosis, inflammation, and bleeding. Causes range from aggressive brushing and poor oral hygiene to chewing tobacco and periodontal disease.

Treating gum recession involves addressing its cause first. If it's due to aggressive brushing, switching to a softer brush and gentler technique is key. For poor oral hygiene, professional cleanings or scaling and root planing may be necessary. Advanced cases might require gum tissue regeneration or grafting to restore a healthy, symmetrical smile. Regular dental check-ups are crucial for early detection and prevention.

Gum Grafting

A gum graft, or gingival graft, is a procedure designed to cover exposed tooth roots with grafted tissue. This exposure often results from gum recession due to periodontal disease, aggressive brushing, or trauma. Gum grafting is essential for reducing tooth sensitivity, improving smile aesthetics, and enhancing gum health. By covering exposed roots, the procedure alleviates discomfort from hot or cold foods, improves the appearance of the smile, and halts further gum and bone loss. There are three types of gum grafts:

Free Gingival Graft: Tissue is taken from the palate and placed on the receded area to thicken the gum.
Subepithelial Connective Tissue Graft: Tissue from the palate’s outer layer is used to cover exposed roots.
Acellular Dermal Matrix Allograft: Medically processed, donated tissue replaces the need for a donor site from the patient’s palate, reducing discomfort.

Gum grafting usually involves local anesthesia. The dentist will first clean the teeth thoroughly to remove tartar and bacteria. A small incision is made at the graft site to create space for the graft, which is then stabilized with sutures. Healing typically takes about six weeks.

Oral Cancer Exam

Oral cancer often starts without symptoms, making regular exams crucial. The most common type, squamous cell carcinoma, usually affects lip and mouth tissues, but it can appear in various areas, including the lips, tongue, gums, salivary glands, and throat. Risk factors include smoking, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol. Early diagnosis leads to effective treatment, so it's vital to address any unusual changes in your mouth or throat promptly.

During an exam, your dentist will check for red patches, sores, leukoplakia (white or gray lesions), and lumps. The painless examination involves visual inspection, palpation, and sometimes laser technology to detect hidden abnormalities. If needed, a biopsy will determine the exact stage and grade of the cancer.

Scaling and Root Planing

Scaling and root planing are essential for treating and preventing gum disease. These non-surgical procedures remove plaque and tartar from below the gumline using specialized tools to address gingivitis and moderate to severe periodontal disease.

Benefits:

Disease Prevention: Clears harmful bacteria, reducing the risk of systemic infections like heart disease.
Tooth Protection: Prevents deep gum pockets from causing tooth loss by removing bacteria and tartar.
Aesthetic Improvement: Removes surface stains and tartar for a cleaner, brighter smile.
Fresh Breath: Alleviates bad breath by eliminating odour-causing bacteria and food particles.

Pocket Irrigation

Pocket irrigation helps manage and prevent disease progression by cleaning deep gum pockets and delivering antibacterial agents. Benefits include:

Deep Cleaning: Removes plaque and debris from between and under the gums.
Fresh Breath: Flushes out food particles and bacteria that cause bad breath.
Antimicrobial Action: Applies antimicrobial agents to reduce harmful bacteria.

Pocket irrigation is often combined with professional cleanings or pocket reduction surgery. At home, use a water pick to clean between teeth and below the gumline.

Pocket Reduction Surgery

Pocket reduction surgery, including gingivectomy and flap surgery, addresses severe periodontal disease by removing bacteria and tartar from deep gum pockets. This procedure helps manage and halt the progression of gum disease, which can otherwise lead to tooth loss. Benefits of pocket reduction surgery include:

Reduce Bacterial Spread: Lowers the risk of bacteria causing systemic health issues.
Prevent Bone Loss: Stops bone erosion that can lead to loose teeth.
Ease Home Care: Makes it easier for patients to maintain oral hygiene.
Improve Smile: Enhances the appearance of gums and teeth.

Performed under local or general anesthesia, the gums are gently pulled back to clean and smooth the tooth roots. An antimicrobial solution is applied to eliminate the remaining bacteria, and the gums are sutured. Post-surgery, patients experience reduced gum pocket depth and improved oral health.

Teeth Cleaning (Prophylaxis)

Dental prophylaxis is a thorough cleaning procedure essential for preventing and managing periodontal disease and gingivitis. This treatment removes plaque and tartar from above and below the gumline, preventing the progression of gum disease and preserving oral health. Benefits include:

Tartar and Plaque Removal: Clears buildup that can cause serious dental issues.
Enhanced Aesthetics: Removes stains for a brighter smile.
Fresh Breath: Reduces bad breath caused by bacteria and food particles.
Health Detection: Helps identify early signs of oral and systemic health problems.

Regenerative Procedures

Bone Regeneration: When periodontal disease thins the jawbone, bone grafting can thicken and strengthen it, supporting future implants. Grafting material is placed in the jaw, and healing is enhanced with growth factors.
Gum Tissue Regeneration: Gum grafting restores lost gum tissue, improves the smile’s appearance, and covers exposed tooth roots. Tissue is taken from the roof of the mouth and placed at the recipient site to regenerate healthy gums.
Pocket Reduction Surgery: This procedure reduces deep gum pockets, making it harder for bacteria to thrive. The gums are pulled back, cleaned, and then sutured to promote healing and prevent further tissue loss.
Scaling and Root Planing: This cleaning technique removes plaque and tartar from above and below the gumline. Scaling clears surface deposits, while root planing smooths tooth roots to prevent bacteria from recolonizing.

Ridge Modification

Ridge modification corrects jaw deformities caused by periodontal disease, injury, or denture wear. This procedure prepares the bone for dental implants by filling defects with bone grafts or substitutes. The gum is lifted, the defect is treated, and the area is closed for several months of healing. Implants may be placed during the procedure or after healing. Ridge modification enhances both appearance and implant success, improving oral function and aesthetics.

Root Amputation

Root amputation is a dental procedure where one root of a multi-root tooth, typically a molar, is removed. This helps preserve the tooth and avoid more costly replacements like implants. It's necessary for things like injured or fractured roots, embedded bacteria, localized bone loss, and severe tooth decay.

Sinus Augmentation

Sinus augmentation is a procedure to enhance jawbone quality for dental implants. It’s used when bone loss from injury or periodontal disease makes implants challenging.

In this procedure, a small incision is made near the upper premolar or molar. The sinus membrane is then gently lifted and the space is filled with bone graft material. Once the bone has regenerated, implants can be placed.

Soft Tissue Grafting

Soft tissue grafting addresses gum recession from periodontal disease, trauma, or aging, aiming to cover exposed tooth roots and restore gum health. Types of grafts include:

Free Gingival Graft: Uses tissue from the roof of the mouth to thicken existing gum tissue.
Connective Tissue Graft: Involves subepithelial tissue from a flap in the mouth to cover larger areas or root exposure.
Pedicle Graft: Moves tissue from nearby gums to cover exposed roots, including its blood supply.

The benefits of soft tissue grafting are increased comfort by reducing sensitivity and pain, improved aesthetics by enhancing the smile's appearance, and better gum health by halting gum and bone loss and protecting against further damage.