Surgical Periodontal Treatments
Pocket Reduction Procedure for Advanced Gum Disease
Your bone and gum tissue should fit tightly around your teeth. When you have periodontal disease, this supporting tissue and bone erodes, forming “pockets” around the teeth.
If ignored, these pockets become deeper, giving bacteria a larger space to live in. As bacteria increase and encase the teeth, they can invade under the gum tissue, causing a widening of the pockets around the teeth and more bone loss.
If you have pockets that are too deep to clean with a regular oral hygiene and dental care routine, we may recommend the pocket reduction procedure.
During this procedure your gum tissue is folded back, so we can remove the disease-causing bacteria before reattaching the tissue.
In certain cases, damaged bone is smoothed to eliminate crevices and create a less inviting environment for bacteria to grow in. This smoother bone surface also allows the gum tissue to better reattach.
Treatment for Gum Recession
Gum recession exposes the tooth root making your teeth appear long and unsightly. This is often referred to as a gummy smile or uneven gumline. It can also make your teeth extremely sensitive to hot and cold foods, and, if left untreated, can lead to tooth loss.
The good news is there is something you can do about it.
At Heering Implants and Periodontics, we treat gum recession in one of two ways: traditional gum grafting or a minimally invasive approach called the Pinhole Procedure.
Your particular situation will determine which option is right for you.
Gum Grafting
Gum graft surgery involves removing healthy tissue from the roof of your mouth and using it to build back up the receding gumline, cover exposed roots, reduce further gum recession, and protect weakened roots from decay. This can be done with one or more teeth to:
- Reduce further recession and bone loss
- Cover exposed roots to stop decay
- Reduce sensitivity
- Create a more aesthetically pleasing gumline
- Improve overall periodontal health (the key to eating, speaking, and smiling with comfort and confidence)
Pinhole Procedure
The Pinhole® Surgical Technique (PST) is a minimally invasive, suture-free procedure for correcting gum recession. Dr. Heering uses a very thin needle to make a small hole in the gum right above the tooth. He then uses specially designed instruments to loosen the gum tissue and gently glide it over the receded part of the tooth. Because there is no cutting or stitching, post-surgical side effects like pain, swelling and bleeding are minimized.
We provide comprehensive anesthesia services for all surgical procedures.
Non-Surgical Periodontal Treatments
Scaling and Root Planing
Scaling and root planing is a deep cleaning below the gumline used to treat gum disease caused by plaque.
Plaque is always forming on your teeth. If you don’t clean your teeth well, the bacteria in plaque can cause your gums to become inflamed.
When this occurs, your gums separate from your teeth, causing spaces called pockets.
Plaque gets caught in these pockets and can’t be removed with regular brushing. If it isn’t professionally treated, it can lead to bone and tooth loss.
When gum disease is caught early and hasn’t damaged the structures below the gum, a professional cleaning can suffice. However, if the pockets between your gums and teeth are too deep, scaling and root planing may be needed.
Scaling removes plaque and tartar from below the gum line. Root planing smooths the tooth root and helps gums reattach to the tooth.
Office Location
We are conveniently located at:
2115 Klockner Road
Hamilton, New Jersey 08690
Office Hours
Monday9 am – 6 pm
Tuesday9 am – 2 pm
WednesdayClosed
Thursday9 am – 6 pm
Friday9 am – 12 pm