Procedures
Dental Implants:  A dental implant is a titanium post (an artificial tooth root) that Dr. Simon places into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge. Dental implants are an ideal option for people in good general oral health who have lost a tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, root fracture, non-treatable extensive decay, or some other reason. In fact, at present, implant restorations are the standard of care and are the “first” option for the replacement of missing teeth. While high-tech in nature, dental implants are actually more tooth-saving than traditional bridgework, because implants do not rely on neighboring teeth for support. Dental implants are so natural-looking and feeling, you may forget you had ever lost a tooth. You are aware that your confidence about your teeth affects how you feel about yourself, both personally and professionally. Perhaps you hide your smile because of spaces from missing teeth. Maybe your dentures don't feel secure. Perhaps you have difficulty chewing. If you are missing one or more teeth and would like to smile, speak and eat again with comfort and confidence, there is good news! Dental implant – supported crowns (caps) are teeth that can look and feel just like your own! Under proper conditions, such as placement by Dr. Simon and diligent patient maintenance, implants can last a lifetime. Long-term studies continue to show improving success rates for implants. What Dental Implants Can Do?
Crown Lengthening:
Periodontal procedures are available to lay the groundwork for restorative and cosmetic dentistry and/or to improve the esthetics of your smile. You may have asked about procedures to improve a "gummy" smile because your teeth appear short. Your teeth may actually be the proper lengths, but they're covered with too much gum tissue. Perhaps your tooth is decayed, broken below the gum line, or has insufficient tooth structure for a restoration, such as a crown or bridge. To correct this, Dr. Simon performs crown lengthening. During this procedure, excess gum and bone tissue is reshaped to expose more of the natural tooth. This can be done to one tooth, to even your gum line, or to several teeth to expose a natural, broad smile What are the benefits of this procedure?  To adjust the gum and bone level to expose more of the tooth so it can be restored properly. Soft Tissue Grafts: Periodontal procedures are available to stop further dental problems and gum recession, and/or to improve the esthetics of your gum line. Exposed tooth roots are the result of gum recession. Perhaps you wish to enhance your smile by covering one or more of these roots that make your teeth appear too long. Or, maybe you're not bothered by the appearance of these areas, but you cringe because the exposed roots are sensitive to hot or cold foods and liquids. Your gums may have receded for a variety of reasons, including aggressive tooth brushing, orthodontics, or periodontal disease. You may not be in control of what caused the recession, but prior to treatment, Dr. Simon can help you identify the factors contributing to the problem. Once these contributing factors are controlled, a soft tissue graft procedure can repair the defect and help to prevent recession and bone loss, which may result in tooth loss. During this procedure, Dr. Simon takes gum tissue from your palate or another donor source. This can be done for one tooth or several teeth to even your gum line and reduce sensitivity. What are the benefits of this procedure? To reduce further recession and bone loss. To cover exposed roots to protect them from decay and reduce tooth sensitivity To surgically increase the width of attached gum tissue to withstand normal trauma from tooth brushing, from deep cleanings, etc., or to further recession improve esthetics of your smile.To cover roots, for cosmetic reasons, and improve the esthetics of your smileRidge Augmentation: Sometimes when you lose one or more teeth, you can get an indentation in your gums and jawbone will occur where the tooth used to be. This happens because the jawbone recedes when it no longer is holding a tooth in place. Not only is this indentation unnatural looking, but it also causes the replacement tooth to look too long compared to the adjacent teeth. Additionally, if Dr. Simon planned to replace several missing teeth and dental implants, but he found inadequate bone width in the area (narrow ridge), he would recommend a ridge augmentation procedure to rebuild ridge width, thus allowing for eventual implant placement. What are the benefits of this procedure? To recapture the natural contour of your gums and jaw.Pocket Reduction Procedures:  Your bone and gum tissue should fit snugly around your teeth like a turtleneck around your neck. 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 live. As bacteria develop around the teeth, they can accumulate and advance under the gum tissue. These deep pockets collect even more bacteria, resulting in further bone and tissue loss. Eventually, if too much bone is lost, the teeth will need to be extracted. Dr. Simon will measure the depth of your pocket(s). A pocket reduction procedure has been recommended because you have pockets that are too deep to clean with daily at-home oral hygiene and a professional care routine. During this procedure, Dr. Simon folds back the gum tissue and removes the disease-causing bacteria before securing the tissue into place. In some cases, irregular surfaces of the damaged bone are smoothed to limit areas where disease-causing bacteria can hide. This allows the gum tissue to better reattach to healthy bone. What are the benefits of this procedure? To reduce pocket depth and eliminating existing bacteria are important to prevent further jawbone destruction. Also, it seems the smaller the pocket depth, the easier is the maintenance of the teeth in health and comfort. Eliminating bacteria alone may not be sufficient to prevent disease recurrence.Deeper pockets are more difficult for you and your dental care professional to clean, so it's important for you to reduce them. Reduced pockets and a combination of daily oral hygiene and professional maintenance care increase your chances of keeping your natural teeth – and decrease the chance of serious health problems associated with periodontal disease. |
