Gum & Jawbone Corrective Treatments: Restoring Function and Beauty

Your gums and jawbone provide the essential foundation for a healthy, beautiful smile. However, various factors—including periodontal disease, trauma, and birth defects—can affect their appearance and function. Periodontal disease, in particular, can significantly alter the natural contours of your gums and teeth, creating an unbalanced or unattractive smile.

Today's advanced periodontal treatments offer effective solutions to correct these concerns and restore your smile's natural beauty. These modern "cosmetic surgery" procedures combine function with aesthetics, helping you achieve both optimal oral health and the confident smile you deserve.

Common Gum Treatments

Crown Lengthening (Gum Lift)

Crown lengthening addresses the common concern of a "gummy" smile while also preparing teeth for restorative procedures. Many people have teeth that appear short or stubby because excess gum tissue covers the natural tooth length—a condition that can result from genetics or gingivitis.

During this procedure, we carefully remove excess gum tissue and reshape the gum line to expose more of your natural tooth structure. This creates a fuller, more attractive smile with better proportioned teeth. Crown lengthening also provides an excellent foundation for dental crowns and other restorative work by creating an aesthetically pleasing gum line that enhances the final results.

Gum Grafts

Gum grafts offer a solution for correcting uneven smiles and restoring symmetry to your gum line, particularly after periodontal disease treatment. When periodontal disease causes gum recession, your smile can appear overly "toothy" and unbalanced.

The grafting procedure involves carefully removing a thin strip of tissue from your palate and precisely placing it over the recession site. This technique not only covers exposed root surfaces but also re-contours the gum line to give your teeth a more pleasing, proportionate appearance. The result is improved smile symmetry and enhanced overall aesthetics.

Pocket Reduction Surgery

Periodontal disease can leave your smile marred by unattractive discoloration, unhealthy gums, and irregular contours. Pocket reduction surgery targets these issues by thoroughly cleaning the root surfaces beneath the gum line, where harmful bacteria typically accumulate.

During this procedure, we gently separate the gum tissue from the tooth to access the affected areas. Using specialized ultrasonic and hand instruments, we remove tartar, plaque, and bacteria that compromise your oral health. An antimicrobial solution may be applied to eliminate remaining bacteria colonies and promote natural healing. This comprehensive approach effectively restores health to both your gums and underlying bone structure.

Common Jawbone Treatments

Sinus Augmentation

Sinus augmentation is typically performed before dental implant placement to ensure your prosthetic teeth are both functional and securely anchored. The success of dental implants depends heavily on having adequate bone quantity and quality for proper attachment.

When your jawbone has receded or been damaged, this procedure gently elevates the sinus floor to create space for new bone formation. We make a small, precise incision in the bone and carefully pack the area with grafting material. After suturing the incision closed, we allow proper healing time before placing your implant, ensuring optimal long-term success.

Ridge Modification

Ridge modification procedures address jawbone deformities caused by periodontal disease, trauma, or birth defects. These conditions can create unattractive indentations in the jaw that also make dental implant placement challenging.

The procedure begins by gently retracting the gum tissue to fully expose the bone defect. We then fill the irregular area with bone graft material or a suitable synthetic alternative before carefully suturing the tissue closed. Once healing is complete, the jaw's appearance is dramatically improved, and dental implants can be successfully placed when needed.

Bone Grafts

Bone grafting serves multiple purposes in modern periodontal treatment. This versatile procedure thickens the jawbone to support dental implant placement, elevates the sinus floor, fills bone craters or deformities, and enables successful nerve repositioning when necessary.

Depending on your specific needs, grafting material may be harvested from your lower jaw, the iliac section of your pelvis, or created synthetically. The procedure typically involves creating a small opening in the jawbone and carefully packing it with the appropriate grafting material. After placing sutures, we allow complete healing before proceeding with any restorative treatments.

Your Path to a Healthier, More Beautiful Smile

These advanced corrective treatments represent significant innovations in periodontal care, offering solutions that were not available in the past. By addressing both functional and aesthetic concerns, these procedures can transform not only your oral health but also your confidence and quality of life.

Each treatment is carefully planned and executed to achieve optimal results while ensuring your comfort throughout the process. The combination of improved function and enhanced aesthetics makes these procedures valuable investments in your long-term oral health and personal satisfaction.

Whether you're dealing with the effects of periodontal disease, trauma, or congenital conditions, modern periodontal treatments can help restore your smile's natural beauty and function, giving you every reason to smile with confidence.