Our Services
Our practice deals with the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of periodontal (gum disease). This may involve deep root planning and/or periodontal flap surgery. Regular maintenance of gum health following initial treatment is provided on a 3, 6 or 12 monthly basis depending on the severity of the condition. All aspect of implant surgery is provided from surgical extraction, preservation of the socket for future implant placement, bone augmentation, sinus lift surgery and implant placement. Cosmetic soft tissue surgery involving gum graft for recession defects and gum lifts is also performed at this practice.
Here is a list of services that are available at Bayside Periodontics and Dental Implants. Feel free to ask our Periodontist about what may be beneficial to you and other services not detailed below. Our periodontist will endeavour to advise you on what is appropriate to your individual needs.
Dental Implants
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root made of titanium that is placed into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge. Dental implants may be an option for people who have lost a tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, an injury, or cannot be salvaged with root canal treatment.The alternate replacement option is a removable partial denture or bridge. Implant surgery can be performed in the chair under local anaesthetic injection or in hospital under general anaesthetic. Depending on the case, a dental implant can be placed immediately following removal of a tooth or if the bone is not adequate, 4-5 months after the extraction. A cone beam CT radiograph is required for all implant cases.
Dental implants are intimately connected with the gum tissues and underlying bone in the mouth. Since periodontists are the dental experts who specialize in precisely these areas, they are ideal members of your dental implant team. Following successful osseointegration of the implant into the bone, you will be referred back to your dentist to get the crown made for the implant.
Periodontal Therapy
Periodontitis is a form of gum disease affecting 10-30% of the population. Signs and symptoms of gum disease are – bleeding gums, bad breath, gum recession, hypersensitive teeth, loose or mobile teeth and bone loss. Non-surgical treatment of gum disease involves thorough debridement (cleaning) of the tooth root surfaces over a number of appointments. In some cases periodontal surgery may be required to gain adequate access to the root surfaces. Periodontal surgery is necessary when your periodontist determines that the tissue around your teeth is unhealthy and cannot be repaired with non-surgical treatment. The ultimate aim of periodontal therapy is to arrest the disease process and maintain your natural teeth for as long as possible, preventing further bone loss and disease progression.
A range of surgical treatments may be available to achieve a number of aims. Commonly, surgery may be undertaken to:
- Gain access to the root surfaces
- Reduce the depth of periodontal pockets
- Regenerate lost periodontal attachment
- Increase the amount of tooth above the gum for restorative procedures (‘crown-lengthen’)
- Graft tissue into areas where disease has result in loss of gum tissue.
Bone Grafting
This is a procedure where either your own bone (harvested from the bottom jaw wisdom tooth region) and/or bovine bone is used during or before implant surgery. Additional bone grafting is normally required for implant surgery in the upper front teeth region due to the thin bone walls. In the area of an infected tooth, there is significant bone loss and will require prior bone grafting before an implant can be placed at a later stage.
Gum Surgery
Gum surgery is performed in cases where there is exposure of the root surface from a localized gum recession defect (gum graft) or in patients with a ‘gummy smile’ where the gum tissue is removed to expose the natural tooth crowns (gum lift/crown-lengthening surgery). For gum graft surgery, the gum tissue is harvested from either the palate (root of the mouth) or in the area of the missing tooth region. A membrane (porcine or bovine derived) may be required to assist with wound closure.