Periodontics

What is Periodontics?
It is the branch of dentistry that specializes in Gums and Bone.

How to know if you need to see a Periodontist?

If your gums bleed when you brush your teeth.
If you have bad breath.
If your teeth feel loose.
If your teeth are looking longer due to receding gums.
If your teeth are seperating.

As with many medical treatments, there are steps that need to be taken in order to see if Periodontal treatment is what you need.

Step 1 & 2 : Evaluation and Cleaning

Step 1 : General Evaluation.

In order to discard any other ailments it will be necessary to have a General evaluation from your General Dentist so that we can look into other possibilities. Once your General dentist has diagnosed you with Periodontal Disease he will send you to the specialist for Step 2.

Step 2 : Periodontal Evaluation.

Periodontal Assessment (Florida Probe)

What is it? The Florida Probe is a machine created back in 1996 that is used to chart gum/periodontal pocket depth. This will help diagnose the severity of periodontal disease and allow our Periodontists to give you an accurate treatment plan. This system is much more accurate than the human eye, and it’s faster.

How much does it cost? $80

Is anesthetic needed? No
How long does it take? Approx 1 hr.
Is it done in house? Yes

There are times when there is so much Tartar on the teeth, that a Scale and Polish is needed before the assessment in order to get an accurate reading.

In this clinic, all of the periodontal procedures that follow are done by our specialists.

Scale and Polish

What is it? In reality there are 3 types of dental cleanings; We have the routine cleaning which is not aggressive at all, a "deep cleaning" (root planing and scaling) and a middle it's known more commonly as Tartar Removal and is sometimes needed before any assessments can be made when there is enough tartar to disrupt the evaluation.

How much does it cost? $100 USD.

Is anesthetic needed? No
How long does it take? Approx 1 hr.
Is it done in house? Yes

Step 3 : SRP

Step 3 : Root Planing and Scaling.

Scaling and root Planing

What is it? Scaling and root Planing is much more than just a "deep clean" it is a Periodontal treatment that is used for treating Periodontal disease. It does this by cleaning off the tartar that has made a home under the gums that can not be reached by conventional means and has thus created an infection. It is very important to remember that THIS is what dentist mean when they talk about Deep cleanings.

Is anesthetic needed? Yes
How much does it cost? These treatments are done by quadrants and thus are charged in the same way. The price is $100 (USD) per quadrant here at our clinic, in the end it comes to a total of $400 USD.

How long does it take? The time it takes to finish this treatment depends greatly on how much work needs to be done. Our clinical recommendation is to have it done in 2 visits, where one half of the mouth is worked on one visit and the 2nd half the 2nd visit. These are 1-hour visits.

Step 4 & 5 : 2nd Assesment & Surgery

Step 4 : Second assessment.

It is necessary to have another assessment after the initial root planing (4-6 weeks later). This will let the specialist know how you are progressing or if more work will be needed. After this if necessary, you may go to step 5 or 6 depending on what your second evaluation results say.
How much does it cost? The price is $80 (USD).

Step 5 : Surgery

Considering Dental Surgery?

It is important to note that if you have ANY medical issue or take ANY medication it is important that you let us know before we start ANY surgery. If you have Uncontrolled Diabetes, High blood pressure, low blood pressure, heart issues, osteoporosis, are taking medication such as blood thinners or bisphosphonates for example. All these instances and more require a letter from your Doctor indicating that you are stable and that a dental surgery can be done and any indications that your doctor may give you for your medications before and following the surgery.

Not everyone needs surgery, there are many instances where people move from Step 3 to step 6. But step 5 will always be surgery to reach areas that can not be reached with a regular root planing and scaling treatment.

How much does it cost? Periodontic Surgery is priced on a case by case basis, ask your specialist how much your particular case will cost.

Surgery Aftercare:

As with any surgery, it is important that you do not touch the surgical area.

Do not lift, strain, push or do any heavy work.
Sleep with your head elevated.
Take your medication as indicated.

Step 6 : Maintenance

When you have had any Periodontal work done, it will be necessary to maintain it for the rest of the life of your teeth and gums. Why? Periodontal disease can not be cured. It can only be controlled. And it needs to be controlled. Maintenance will replace regular cleanings at the dentist. You will need to have a good cleaning regimen at home to keep the periodontal disease from returning, because if it does return it could return worse than the first time and you'll need to start again at step 1.

What is it? It's a control cleaning where the healing process of the gums will be evaluated as well as the oral hygiene home routine. Anesthetics are not needed and your doctor will determine how often you will have to return for these cleanings, it can be between 2 and 6 months.

How much does it cost? $80

Anesthetic: No
How long does it take? An hour is usually how long it takes to complete this procedure.
Is it done in house? Yes.

Now that you have your Periodontal disease under control, you will now have to work hard every day to keep it controlled and clean. Remember it's up to you to keep it from returning to how it was when you came in.
To be very sure that your periodontal work will be a success it is necessary for you to follow the instructions that are given to you by the specialist.

Other Periodontal surgeries

Gum Graft Surgery

What is it? It sounds scarier than it is. In the simplest words, Skin is taken from the roof of your mouth and grafted onto your gums to cover receding gums. In the end this is still a surgery so aftercare will be needed. Talk to your doctor about other graft options, if you don't want it to be taken from your own mouth.

Anesthetic: Yes
How much does it cost? This surgery is priced on a case by case basis, ask your specialist about how much this particular procedure will cost for you.

How long does it take? This is a surgery that takes around 1 hour to complete. Healing is what can take a while depending how well you care for the area once the surgery is finished.

Dental Crown Lengthening

What is it? Also known as Gum contouring, this treatment is the opposite of a Gum graft. This is removing gum so that the crown of the tooth can look longer for cosmetic purposes or to help a crown sit better on a single tooth, it can also be used to uncover hidden cavities. Just like with a gum graft, it's still a surgery so proper care needs to be taken afterwards.

Anesthetic: Yes
How much does it cost? This surgery is priced on a case by case basis, ask your specialist about how much your particular case will cost.

How long does it take? This surgery takes around an hour to complete.

Bone Grafts

What is it? After at tooth extraction, it is sometimes necessary to place a bone graft in the empty space. In order to increase the area to increase the possibility to add an implant or dental prosthesis. Your doctor will explain if it's necessary to have a membrane to protect the graft.

How much does it cost? The price of a Bone graft depends greatly on many factors, it can change depending on the material used, on the amount of material, etc. it is always necessary to ask your specialist/surgeon how much your particular case is going to cost. Starting for $675 per tooth.

Anesthetic: Yes
How long does it take? A bone graft takes about an hour to apply but takes 4-6 months to heal (depending on your healing speed and how well the area is cared for).
Is it done in house? yes, we do the bone grafts here.

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