Advanced Specialty Treatments for A Toothy Smile, Gummy Smile, And More!
Nothing quite ages your smile and face like gum recession. Consider how your gums provide a “frame” for your teeth. They should appear in beautiful balance, harmony, and proportion with the teeth. As the gums pull away or recede from the teeth, more of the white part of each tooth is visible. Your teeth may now look “too big” for your smile and the rest of your face. Additionally, gum recession can expose the roots of your teeth, a risk factor for destructive tooth decay. Board-certified periodontist Dr. Tyler Hendry at Glendale Periodontics serves Southern California with a wide range of advanced, minimally invasive treatment options to address the numerous potential cosmetic and health complications associated with gum recession.
Why would I need cosmetic treatment?
Periodontal “plastic surgery” procedures are designed to restore or achieve a balanced gumline. Gum recession can disrupt that beautiful balance, making your smile appear overly “toothy.” Likewise, patients with conditions like hyperplasia may have the opposite problem – their smiles may look overly “gummy.” Any time your gumline is not in proportion with other parts of your smile, you may be a good candidate for cosmetic treatment. The specific type of treatment depends on your needs. Still, it may involve either grafting or repositioning tissue to rebuild a deteriorated or recessed gumline, or it may involve removing excess tissue or reshaping it to address other cosmetic concerns, such as gingival/gum overgrowth.
What do you mean by minimally invasive treatments?
As a specialty practice, we have the training and on-site capabilities to perform many advanced procedures. These innovative procedures are generally more precise, comfortable, safe, and efficient than traditional techniques. Dr. Hendry emphasizes microsurgical techniques, which make gum grafting a less invasive alternative to conventional periodontal surgeries. This approach means minimal impact on your body. Traditional grafting methods used to rebuild lost tissue require the sacrifice of some healthy tissue. This approach can lead to even further gum loss as the mouth heals. Our techniques preserve healthy tissue. They are so gentle that only local anesthesia/numbing is required (though patients may opt for sedation, too). The gentle, minimal nature of our treatments has also rendered prescription medication post-treatment unnecessary. Only OTC products may be needed to help with discomfort for a few days afterward.
Do the results look as good?
Minimally invasive techniques support a more aesthetically pleasing result! By preserving natural tissues and keeping them intact, your results look naturally beautiful. The cosmetic complications associated with conventional surgery are also avoided. For instance, traditional grafting can leave behind a white patch. These patches do not blend in well with the surrounding tissue. Our minimally invasive techniques encourage new tissue and natural healing. Therefore, the new tissue is naturally pink and indistinguishable from the surrounding natural gums.
What treatments do you offer?
In addition to minimally invasive grafting or grafting alternatives for a “long in the tooth smile,” gingivoplasty refers to gum reshaping or recontouring to correct a smile where excessive gum tissue is visible. Gingivoplasty is also versatile enough to resolve uneven gums or thick tissue, creating a more balanced gum line and a symmetrical smile. Gingivoplasty may also be followed by a grafting procedure to refine the gumline further and achieve the most natural-looking and attractive result.
Gingivectomy refers to the removal of excess gum tissue. This treatment may also be suitable for patients with gum disease, in which the diseased tissue is removed. Crown lengthening is another reshaping procedure that involves treating both the gums and the underlying bone. Like gingivoplasty, crown lengthening can bring balance to an uneven gumline by exposing more of the tooth’s crown, making the tooth appear longer. But this treatment is also used to prepare the tooth for restorative dental work. By exposing more structure, restorations like crowns can be securely attached to the tooth.
Of course, the health of your gums and mouth is our priority at Glendale Periodontics. Should your needs extend beyond the cosmetic, Dr. Hendry may recommend procedures such as a deep cleaning (scaling and root planing) or advanced laser-assisted treatment to eliminate disease-causing bacteria and promote healing and the reattachment of the teeth to the gums. Call (818) 240-4555 to schedule your appointment today! We proudly serve Burbank, Pasadena, Toluca Lake, Simi Valley, CA, and surrounding areas with advanced specialty care.
