Surgical Procedures
Cosmetic Periodontal Surgery
If you are unhappy with the appearance of short unsightly teeth or a “gummy” smile, this can be greatly improved by a combination of periodontal procedures performed by Dr. Markle and cosmetic dentistry performed by your family dentist.
Although your teeth may appear short, they may actually be the proper length. The teeth may be covered with too much gum tissue. This problem can be corrected by performing a periodontal plastic surgery procedure, esthetic crown lengthening.
During this procedure, excess gum and bone tissue are reshaped to expose more of the natural tooth. This can be done to one or more teeth and will serve to even your gum line and to create a beautiful smile.
Another commonly performed cosmetic procedure is the soft tissue graft. It is used to cover unattractive tooth roots, reduce gum recession, and to protect the roots from decay and risk of premature loss. Gum is transferred from the roof of the patient’s mouth to cover the exposed neck of the tooth. Like bone grafting, this procedure is also reparative in nature.
Tooth loss causes the jawbone to recede and can lead to an unnatural looking indentation in your gums and jaw, an appearance considered unattractive and associated with aging. To prevent this from happening, when a tooth is removed, a technique called socket preservation is performed. The tooth socket is grafted with bone and the tissue protected thereby creating a healthy platform for the replacement tooth or implant. Socket preservation can be thought of as “smile preservation” and is especially important when front teeth are lost.
