Periodontal Care in Wichita KS

Periodontal disease, more commonly known as gum disease, affects almost half of all Americans over thirty and more than 70% of people 65 and older. These numbers show that the risk of developing periodontal disease increases with age. There are three stages of periodontal disease: gingivitis, periodontitis, and advanced periodontitis.

A periodontist is an advanced dentist, but a dentist isn’t a periodontist. A dentist needs four years of schooling. A periodontist goes to dental school and then does advanced training in periodontal care and procedures that care for the anatomy that holds teeth, i.e. jawbones and gums.

Gingivitis is common and can be treated with rigorous oral care and deep cleaning. When a patient develops periodontitis, it’s time for professional periodontal care at Implant & Perio Center of Kansas. With several options, from minor to advanced periodontal care, our team addresses patient care with precision and comfort.

Periodontal Care and Services

At the intervention stage of gum disease, patients should receive the best and least invasive care available. For many, a deep cleaning and fluoride treatment are good enough. However, if you need advanced gum care or other surgical procedure, you’ll be considering one of the following periodontal treatment options.

Laser Periodontal Therapy

Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP) is a technological breakthrough in periodontal care. Some periodontists call the treatment Laser-Assisted Regenerative (LAR). Laser therapy has been thoroughly tested and reviewed by experts with positive feedback. The treatment uses a PerioLase MVP-7 laser specially designed with pulse technology for acute bone and tissue regeneration. Benefits include minimal pain and discomfort, less risk of infection, and shorter recovery times.

Periodontal Tissue and Root Therapy

Our gums are one of our body’s first defences against overall bad health. To this end, periodontal tissue and root therapy keep your mouth, teeth, and gums working for your immune system instead of against it. First, you’ll receive a deep clean to remove all plaque and tartar from your teeth. Then your periodontist can examine your roots and gum line, smoothing out when needed. You’ll have a lessened chance of developing pockets that can collect food particles and eventually lead to infections. Think of root and periodontal tissue therapy as a deep cleaning for your dental roots. The team of experts at the Implant & Perio Center of Kansas can walk you through what your smile needs.

Pocket Reduction Surgery

Periodontal surgery (gingivectomy) treats periodontitis, the accumulated bacteria and plaque in the deep pockets between your teeth and the inflammation of the gums. If you have an infection inside these pockets, you’ll need antibiotics to reduce the swelling and infection. The procedure can be done on one tooth or several. The periodontist carefully removes the gum from the teeth to expose the underlying bone and roots. Once smoothed and cleaned, the gum gets repositioned to restructure the pockets for easier cleaning and care. The periodontist sutures the gums snugly around the teeth. A local anesthetic ensures patients feel little pain.

Soft Tissue Grafting

Receding gums is a common issue, especially for older adults. Periodontal disease destroys gum tissue that often can’t be fixed without adding more tissue elsewhere. People with gingivitis and later periodontitis are more susceptible to decaying teeth and bone structures. In the gum grafting procedure, the periodontist takes tissue from the roof of your mouth or from a tissue bank, and attaches it so that the new tissue covers exposed roots and jawbone. This procedure can take time because the periodontist must sculpt the tissue around teeth, sometimes dental implants. This is where the expert team at the Implant & Perio Center of Kansas excels. We’ll make your experience as easy and comfortable as possible.

Crown Lengthening

People first notice your smile, especially if your teeth look too long or you show too much gum. Thankfully, your periodontist has a solution–crown lengthening. This largely cosmetic procedure can be completed on one tooth or your entire gum line for that custom smile you’ve always wanted. Crown lengthening is a surgical procedure where the gum gets reshaped around the root and lower tooth. The procedure is often used to expose a decayed part of a tooth below the gum line. Once exposed, the periodontist shapes the gum below the decay. Sometimes crown lengthening must be completed before a crown or a bridge can be attached because there isn’t enough exposed tooth to work with.

Dental Endoscope

The technology behind dental endoscopy has advanced significantly in the last few decades. To this end, the Implant & Perio Center of Kansas uses state-of-the-art visualization technology for treating periodontal disease. With an advanced endoscope, the periodontist sees into smaller places that traditional cleaning misses. We use two endoscopes: The DeVa-1 2G and DeVA-1. The 2G fits below the gum line and delivers precision images of the pockets between teeth. The DeVA-1 puts out high-definition images using hundreds of illuminating fibers. The camera sees detail inside periodontal pockets and root surfaces at 100x magnification. The result is a cleaner, healthier mouth ready to help your immune system thrive.

Periodontal Care that Works For You

Periodontal care is a dental specialty, but don’t call a periodontist a dentist. These professionals need almost twice the training of a traditional dentist, primarily because periodontists must understand things like gum tissue grafting and crown lengthening. The truth is all periodontal procedures have some medical reasons beyond cosmetic reasons. Periodontists treat and manage advanced gum disease with microscopic precision. There is no better specialist for gingivitis than a periodontist with specialized tools. Gums are their main focus. Contact Implant & Perio Center of Kansas for a consultation today!