Procedures Guide

Gum Recession

Gum recession (gingival recession) occurs when the gum tissue pulls away from the tooth, leaving the tooth root exposed. This is often caused by periodontal disease; however, poor oral hygiene and heredity may also be what causes receding gums and can increase the rate at which gums recede. Gum recession treatments include gum graft surgery, which repairs the defect to prevent additional gum loss and promote further tooth and gum health. Gum graft surgery involves taking gum tissue from a donor source to cover the exposed root.

Oral Pathology and Oral Biopsy

An oral biopsy is used to screen for oral cancer and other mouth diseases. A biopsy requires the lab testing of abnormal tissue. During this biopsy, either a small piece of tissue or the entire abnormality is removed. This will depend on your circumstances. Once you receive the results of your biopsy, additional treatment can be determined, if necessary.

Replacing a Single Tooth

If you are missing a single tooth, a dental implant and crown can replace it. A dental implant replaces the tooth root, which better preserves the bone while providing long-lasting functional and aesthetic benefits.

Replacing Several Teeth

If you are missing several teeth, implant-supported bridges can replace teeth without support from the adjacent teeth. Implants for several teeth replace some of the tooth roots, which better preserves the bone.

Replacing All of Your Teeth

If you are missing all of your teeth, an implant-supported full bridge or full denture can replace them. Dental implants replace your lost teeth and some of the roots.

Teeth in a Day

Patients whose teeth are irreversibly damaged may consider teeth in a day, a specialized treatment that provides patients with a full set of teeth in a shorter amount of time (generally all in one day) than traditional implants. Teeth in a day are not appropriate for everyone and are often considered a last resort when no other treatment will suffice for teeth replacement.

Bone Graft/Ridge Augmentation

Bone graft, or ridge augmentation, is performed on patients with deformities (defects) in the upper or lower jaw whose bone is not strong enough to hold an implant. Dental bone grafting or ridge augmentation fills the spaces of inadequate bone with additional bone or bone substitute to build up the ridge and strengthen the jaw.

Sinus Augmentation

The sinus augmentation procedure improves the height, volume, and quality of bone near the sinuses by raising the sinus floor and allowing new bone formation. This deficiency is a result of natural anatomy in the area, periodontal disease, and/or missing teeth for a prolonged period of time. This “sinus lift” allows for the placement of dental implants near the sinuses.

Periodontal Disease Maintenance

Periodontal disease is the damage to the gums that occurs when bacterial infections develop in the gum and jawbones. Periodontal disease maintenance focuses on periodic teeth cleanings to prevent and control periodontitis (gum disease).

Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing

Periodontal scaling and root planing is a deep cleaning to remove plaque and tartar (dental calculus deposits) from periodontal pockets in order to eliminate bacterial toxins and smooth the tooth root. While some patients require additional therapy, such as system antibiotics or the local delivery or antimicrobials, others do not require further treatment to restore gum health.

Systemic Antibiotics

Systemic antibiotics are oral antibiotics that help fight bacteria and infection in the mouth. These antibiotics are often taken after deep cleanings such as scaling and root planing.

Local Delivery of Antimicrobials

Local delivery of antimicrobials is a treatment for periodontal disease that reduces or eliminates bacteria in the periodontal pockets.

Saving Natural Teeth

Saving natural teeth should always be the primary treatment approach. Many teeth can simply be treated with fillings, root canals, crown lengthening, and/or crowns instead of dental implants. Dental concerns should always be addressed in the least invasive means possible, and saving natural teeth is the priority.

Occlusal (Bite) Adjustment

Occlusal (bite) adjustment is a dental procedure performed to remove tiny interferences that prevent the biting surfaces of the teeth from coming together properly (malocclusion).

Oral Hygiene

Daily oral hygiene can keep your mouth healthy with at-home dental care between your visits with your dental hygienist. These dental hygiene practices promote overall oral health and help you avoid bad breath, bacterial plaque, tartar build-up, tooth decay, and tooth loss.

Emergency Dentistry

Dental concerns and pain do not always wait for convenient times. A dental emergency is any situation where prompt and immediate treatment is required to preserve the tooth and its function or reduce the risk of a severe infection. Dental emergencies include tooth abscesses, tooth infections, trauma-induced tooth loss, pulpitis, and inflammation around the wisdom teeth or gums.

Gingival (Gum) Graft

Gingival (gum) graft surgery is often necessary to treat receding gums or can be used cosmetically to shorten long teeth. A gum graft uses a harvested piece of gum tissue from your palate or another donor area to cover the exposed roots, which protects them from further gum recession and decay, reduces sensitivity, and improves tooth stability. Gum graft surgery provides both functional and aesthetic benefits.

Pocket Reduction Surgery (Osseous Surgery)

Pocket reduction surgery (osseous surgery) is a periodontal treatment that halts the progression of gum disease. This gum surgery gives your periodontist access to the root surfaces of the teeth to remove tartar and minimize or eliminate the pockets in the alveolar bone.

Regenerative Procedures

Regenerative dental procedures stop the progression of gum disease by stimulating the natural growth of lost bone and tissue to support your teeth. This is achieved by folding back the gum tissue to remove bacteria before adding bone grafts, membranes, or tissue-stimulating proteins.

Crown Lengthening

The crown lengthening procedure improves the aesthetics of a gummy smile. A gummy smile occurs when your gums cover a larger tooth surface area than usual, making your teeth look shorter than they are. During a crown lengthening procedure, the excess gum tissue is reshaped to expose more of the natural tooth.

This procedure also allows you to save natural teeth that have severe decay.

Frenectomy (Frenum) Surgery

Frenectomy surgery removes labial or lingual aberrant soft tissue (frenulum) from the mouth to improve gum (gingival) health, prevent relapse of aligned teeth after orthodontic treatment, and eliminate tongue and lip tie.

Orthodontic Procedures

Orthodontic treatments involve an orthodontist applying devices like braces to adjust teeth or the underlying bone. Orthodontics can also correct crowded teeth and jaws or address underbites.

Fiberotomy

A dental fiberotomy is performed to detach the fibers that attach the tooth to the bone. This is done during orthodontic procedures to prevent the relapse of the teeth.

Tooth Extractions

You may need to have one or more teeth extracted if there is severe tooth decay, advanced periodontal disease, broken teeth, or wisdom teeth that cannot be saved any other way.

Cosmetic Dentistry

Cosmetic dental treatments like teeth whitening, veneers, gum reshaping, and braces can all improve the look of your smile.

IV Sedation and General Anesthesia

Dr. Salamati offers sedation dentistry (sleep dentistry) to meet your comfort needs when you visit his dental office. Sedative options for dental procedures include nitrous oxide sedation (laughing gas), oral sedation, conscious sedation, and general anesthesia.