Periodontal Procedures in Livingston, NJ

Dental implants replace missing teeth and protect existing teeth by helping to preserve bone structure. Dental implants are composed of three pieces: a small screw made of a biocompatible metal called titanium, an abutment that connects the screw, and the final restoration.

Scaling and root planing is a non-surgical procedure used to treat gum disease. During the scaling process, specialized dental instruments are used to remove dental plaque and calculus from beneath the gums. Planing is the procedure used to smooth the tooth’s root after the scaling process. Root planing helps the gums heal and reattach themselves to a cleaner and smoother root surface.

Home care is an extremely important part of maintaining healthy teeth and gums, but even excellent home care cannot prevent bacteria and plaque. If the plaque is not removed, it can harden, becoming calculus. We will recommend a periodontal maintenance program that is best for you based on how quickly you develop calculus and your past and current periodontal health. During your maintenance visits, we will perform an oral examination as well as a dental cleaning.

During an oral examination, a visual inspection is performed to detect normal and abnormal structures of the entire mouth, head and neck. Along with radiographs, an examination detects cavities, abnormalities in existing dental restorations, gum and bone recession, and any other abnormal findings within the mouth, head, and neck

A dental cleaning, also known as an oral prophylaxis, is the removal of dental plaque and tartar (calculus) from the teeth. Specialized instruments are used to gently remove these deposits without harming the teeth. First, an ultrasonic device that emits vibrations and is cooled by water is used to loosen larger pieces of tartar. Next, hand tools are used to manually remove smaller deposits and smooth the tooth surfaces.

Bone grafting is the replacement or enhancement of bone around teeth. When a tooth is lost, the surrounding bone collapses. Bone grafting is performed to reverse bone loss or enhance bone. The bone can be taken from parts of the body or from synthetic material. Bone grafting allows for proper support of dental implants or prostheses.

Crown lengthening is commonly used to expose more tooth structure, crown lengthening involves the removal of gum tissue and/or bone to expose more of a tooth’s structure.

ARESTIN® is a locally applied antibiotic that delivers minocycline microspheres in the form of a powder. It is placed directly into the infected periodontal pocket at the time of scaling and root planing procedures for easy, targeted treatment. The microspheres adhere to the surrounding surfaces to provide a sustained release of the antibiotic at the site of active infection for effective treatment. It is used in pocket depth reduction and may be used as part of a periodontal maintenance program.
Benefits of ARESTIN® include:

• No local anesthesia required
• No adhesive required
• No dressing required
• No need for removal as the microspheres are completely bioresorbed
• Remains active in the pocket for an extended period of time