COSMETIC PERIODONTAL PROCEDURES IN BATON ROUGE LA
If you are unhappy with the appearance of short teeth or an uneven gumline, we can restore or greatly improve your smile. Dr. Markle and Dr. Herman use a combination of periodontal procedures and cosmetic dentistry services to enhance your smile. Periodontal cosmetic procedures available at Baton Rouge Perio include:
- Crown Lengthening
- Gum Grafting
- Bone Grafting
- Pinhole Surgical Technique
CROWN LENGTHENING
Although your teeth appear short, they may actually be the proper length. The teeth may be covered with too much gum tissue. We can correct this by performing the periodontal plastic surgery procedure, crown lengthening. During this procedure, excess gum and bone tissue are reshaped to expose more of the natural tooth. This can be done to more than one tooth, to even your gum line, and to create a beautiful smile.
GUM GRAFTING
Another cosmetic procedure is a soft tissue graft that covers tooth roots to provide better protection from decay. Additionally, gum grafting reduces gum recession that leads to root exposure and potential tooth loss.
BONE GRAFTING
Tooth loss causes the jaw bone to recede and can lead to unnatural-looking indentations in your gums and jaw. Tooth loss also gives the appearance of aging. A lack of jawbone in the area of the missing tooth or teeth may leave gaps under replacement teeth like a dental bridge. This has the potential to create a place for bad bacteria to collect and lead to other dental issues.
Bone grafting following tooth loss preserves the socket/ridge and minimizes gum collapse and bone reabsorption. There is more foundational bone for an implant and less space under a dental bridge.
PINHOLE SURGICAL TECHNIQUE
Unlike gum grafting, the Pinhole Surgical Technique PST™ is minimally invasive and does not a scalpel to cut the gum tissue. This makes it a much less painful option with a faster recovery time. Gum recession was traditionally treated using a connective tissue graft, which "harvests" gum tissue from the roof of the mouth and then sutures it to the affected area. Traditional connective tissue grafts have a recovery period of up to three weeks. Patients often experience gum pain, swelling, and bleeding.
BENEFITS OF PST™
- Non-invasive
- Reduces the side effects of gum surgery (bleeding, swelling, gum pain)
- Near-immediate cosmetic improvement
- Incision and suture-free
- Accelerated recovery
- One visit can treat multiple areas of recession