Arcadia Perio in Arcadia, California is a full-service periodontal surgeon, laser dentist and dental implant specialist, able to treat a variety of extensive dental problems that require reconstruction or regeneration to improve oral health. Periodontal surgery a specialty that requires years of training to master, but, one that enables Dr. J. Fuentes and Dr. Peterson to provide patients with essential treatments such as bone and gum grafting, occlusal/bite adjustments, and periodontal maintenance.
request an appointmentWhat is considered periodontal surgery?
The goal of any dental surgery is to improve your dental health. Periodontal surgery is no different, but it’s invasive, so it goes deeper into the tissue to reach beyond the surface of your gum. There are many different types of periodontal surgery and various reasons you might need them.
For example, a gingivectomy is usually the first procedure done for people with periodontal disease. The surgeon makes an incision into the soft tissue around the teeth and removes infected or diseased gum tissue. This is different from gingivoplasty, which is another form of periodontal surgery. With this procedure, Dr. Fuentes and Dr. Peterson reshape the gum tissue to make it look more natural. It’s often done after a gingivectomy to improve the appearance of the teeth.
Periodontal surgery is simply an umbrella term for invasive surgical procedures done to reconstruct or treat dental disease or injury.
What other kinds of surgery does Dr. Fuentes and Dr. Peterson perform?
Dr. Fuentes and Dr. Peterson are trained to do any necessary surgical procedures, so it depends on your need. When preparing you for a dental implant, for example, he might do a bone graft to reconstruct the jaw and stabilize it. Gum grafting is also a common need for patients requiring an implant. Insertion of the dental implant itself is a form of periodontal surgery, as is a sinus lift.
During a sinus lift, the surgeon augments or “lifts” the floor of the maxillary sinus to increase the amount of bone in the upper jaw. If you were to have dental implants on the upper gum, you might need this surgery to stabilize the bone and support the implant.
There are also periodontal surgeries that remove or extract broken or diseased teeth from your mouth in preparation for implantation.
Does basic periodontal maintenance require surgery?
Even minimally invasive procedures like deep teeth cleaning and root planing are considered types of periodontal surgery, meaning they require specialized training to perform. All such procedures are done with at least a local anesthetic if needed to keep you comfortable.