Restorative Dentistry Services

The objective of scaling and root planing, otherwise known as conventional periodontal therapy or non-surgical periodontal therapy, is to remove or eliminate the etiologic agents which cause inflammation: dental plaque, its products and calculus, thus helping to establish a periodontium that is free of disease.

Periodontal scaling procedures “include the removal of plaque, calculus and stain from the crown and root surfaces of teeth, whereas root planing is a specific treatment that removes the roughened cementum and surface dentin that is impregnated with calculus, microorganisms and their toxins.”

Scaling and root planing are often referred to as deep cleaning, and may be performed using a number of dental tools, including ultrasonic instruments and hand instruments, such as periodontal scalers and curettes.

Removal of adherent plaque and calculus with hand instruments can also be performed on patients without periodontal disease. This treatment would then be referred to as a prophylaxis (a cleaning, although literally it means “prevention”) or a prophy for short. Sometimes this device may be electric, known as an ultrasonic or sonic scaler. At present, there is inadequate research evidence to claim that periodic pre-emptive scaling reduces the incidence of periodontal disease.

Sonic and ultrasonic scalers are powered by a system that causes the tip to vibrate. Sonic scalers are typically powered by an air-driven turbine. Ultrasonic scalers typically use eithermagnetostrictive or piezoelectric systems to create vibration. Magnetostrictive scalers use a stack of metal plates bonded to the tool tip. The stack is induced to vibrate by an external coil connected to an AC source. Many ultrasonic scalers also include a liquid output or lavage, which aids in cooling the tool during use. The lavage can also be used to deliver antimicrobial agents.

There is some debate over whether there is an advantage to sonic or ultrasonic scaling over hand scaling and some issues arise from powered scalers. However, powered scalers tend to create aerosols, which can spread pathogens.

Between brushings, a sticky film of bacteria plaque actually covers your teeth, producing acids that attack your enamel. Careful brushing and flossing can eliminate most of this film, but the chewing surfaces of your teeth can have deep, hard-to-reach fissures and pits where plaque can hide and create cavities.

Fortunately, you can prevent his chain of events by having your dentist or dental hygienist apply a “dental sealant” resin to any teeth that have these deep fissures and pits. It is a relatively inexpensive, painless and quick procedure helping protect the health of your teeth.

Fluoride Treatments

Besides dental sealants, the next best treatment in preventing tooth decay is the topical application of fluoride. Fluoride will remineralize your tooth’s enamel, making it harder for bacteria to cause cavities. We offer both in office treatments and take home treatments in our hygiene program.

At our dental center we use laser for this procedure.

A frenectomy (also known as a frenulectomy or frenotomy) is the removal of a frenulum, a small fold of tissue that prevents an organ in the body from moving too far. It can refer to frenula in several places on the human body. It is related to frenuloplasty, a surgical alteration in a frenulum.

There are several frenula that are associated with types of frenectomy:

• Lingual frenectomy (of the tongue) as treatment for ankyloglossia
• Labial frenectomy (of the lip)
• A frenectomy can also be performed to remove a section of tissue (the frenulum) that attached to the gingival tissue between two teeth.

In soft tissue laser surgery, interaction of laser light with the soft tissue provides a special approach to surgery. A highly focused laser beam vaporizes the soft tissue with the high water content. Laser can make very small incisions when the beam is focused on the tissue (focal spot size can be as small as ~0.1 mm, but the most widely used in practice is 0.4 mm). When the beam is defocused, the intensity of the laser light on the tissue diminishes, and it can be used for cauterization of small blood vessels and lymphatics, therefore decreases post-operative swellings.

A laser beam has a natural sterilization effect—it evaporates bacteria, viruses and fungi, which leads to a decrease in local infections. Probably most important, the laser decreases post-operative pain by sealing nerve endings. Soft Tissue Laser Surgery is differentiated from Hard Tissue Laser Surgery (bones and teeth in dentistry ) and Laser Eye Surgery (eyesight corrective surgeries ) by the type of lasers used in a particular type of laser surgery.

Dentures are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth, and which are supported by surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Conventional dentures are removable, however there are many different denture designs, some which rely on bonding or clasping onto teeth or dental implants. There are two main categories of dentures, depending on whether they are used to replace missing teeth on the mandibular arch or the maxillary arch.