Some cases of acute periodontal (gum) disease that do not respond to more conventional treatment and self-care such as flossing may require a special kind of cleaning called scaling and root planing.

The procedure begins with administration of a local anaesthetic to reduce any discomfort. Then, a small instrument called a ‘scaler’, or an ultrasonic cleaner, is used to clean beneath your gum line to remove plaque and tartar.

The root surfaces on the tooth are then planed and smoothed. This lets the gum tissue heal and reattach itself to the tooth.

Maxillofacial surgery is a branch of dentistry that deals with surgical procedures of the head and neck, including the mouth and tooth structures.

Your bone and gum tissue should fit snugly around your teeth like a turtleneck. When you have periodontal disease, this supporting tissue and bone is destroyed, forming pockets around the teeth. Over time, these pockets become deeper, providing a larger space for bacteria to thrive and wreak havoc.

As bacteria accumulate and advance under the gum tissue in these deep pockets, additional bone and tissue loss follow. Eventually, if too much bone is lost, the teeth will need to be extracted.

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In most cases, a tooth may need to be pulled when other, less radical procedures such as amalgams or restoration make it impossible or imprudent to save your original tooth.

Advanced anaesthetic techniques today greatly minimize discomfort associated with a tooth extraction. First, the area surrounding the tooth is numbed to lessen any discomfort. After the extraction, you are given a regimen to follow to ensure that no infection occurs and your gum tissues heal properly. In most cases, a small amount of bleeding is normal.

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In addition to procedures to treat periodontal disease, many periodontists also perform Cosmetic Dentistry to enhance your smile. Often, patients who pursue Cosmetic Dentistry notice improved function as well. Cosmetic Dentistry include:

• Crown lengthening
• Soft tissue grafts
• Ridge augmentation

Root canal therapy has saved more teeth than you can imagine! Before root canal therapy came along, if you had a tooth with a diseased nerve, chances are you would lose that tooth.

Deep beneath each tooth’s outer shell is an area of soft tissue called the pulp, which carries the tooth’s nerves, veins, arteries and lymph vessels. Root canals are very small, thin divisions that branch off from the top pulp chamber down to the tip of the root. A tooth has between one and four root canals.

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Cosmetic concerns | Comfort | Hygiene | Space Maintainers | Invisalign – an alternative

An orthodontic problem is called a malocclusion or ‘bad bite’. Some examples of causes of malocclusion include crowded teeth, extra teeth, missing teeth or misaligned jaws. Most malocclusions are inherited, although some can be acquired. Acquired malocclusions can be caused by accidents, early or late loss of baby teeth, or thumb-sucking over a long period of time.

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