Kelsey Periodontal Group

A Periodontist is a dentist who specializes in the soft tissues of the mouth and the underlying bone which supports the teeth. A dentist must first graduate from an accredited dental school before undertaking an additional three years of study within a periodontology residency training program in order to qualify as a periodontist.

When you and your restorative dentist decide to save a tooth, but there is not enough tooth structure left to build a crown on top of it, crown lengthening is the solution. Crown lengthening is a simple surgical procedure where the gum tissue is pushed back around the tooth you want to save, then a very small amount of bone is removed to "lengthen" the crown.

Your dentist has recommended you receive a deep cleaning of your teeth. The dental term for this procedure is "scaling and root planing". Scaling and root planing (SRP) is indicated when the pockets around your teeth are deep, and calculus (tartar) and plaque have built up causing inflammation of your gums, and possibly bone loss.

If you are missing a tooth or teeth, or have extractions planned in the future, a dental implant may be the solution you are looking for to replace the missing tooth. Actually, "dental implant" is a catch-all phrase which actually refers to at least two separate dental processes.

What that phrase really encompasses, is the surgical placement of a titanium cylinder into the bone followed by a crown that is affixed to the titanium cylinder after a period of healing.So, in reality, what you are looking for is a dental implant with an implant supported crown.

A frenum is a tissue that functions to limit the movement of other tissues in your mouth. Sometimes the frenum can be near your upper teeth and may prevent the closure of your two front teeth with braces (Fig. A). Sometimes the frenum can be on your lower teeth and pull on the margin of the gums and be a part of the cause of gum recession (Fig. B).