Periodontist Bellerive, MO
Periodontist services in Bellerive, MO. Periodontal disease, a serious gum infection, often begins as gingivitis, a mild form of gum disease caused by plaque and tartar buildup. John Martin & Associates are available to help patients facing various dental and gum issues. Reach out to our offices today or call us at (314) 739-1222 in Maryland Heights or (573) 764-2425 in Gerald to book an appointment.
What Does a Bellerive, MO, Periodontist Do?
A periodontist is a dental professional dedicated to diagnosing, preventing, and treating periodontal disease. Their work encompasses maintaining dental implants, performing soft tissue and bone grafts, regenerating tissues, repairing crowns, and grafting gums.
John Martin & Associates has the capabilities for:
- Periodontal Disease Treatment
- Root Canal Therapy
- Oral Cancer Screenings
- Endodontic Therapy
- Dental Bonding
- Chipped Tooth Repair
- Cosmetic Dentistry
As an all-in-one family dentist, our St. Louis-based periodontists help prevent painful and even life-threatening oral diseases in Bellerive, MO. Contact our team now to learn more.
Prevent periodontitis by maintaining good oral hygiene with routine brushing and flossing, not smoking, and seeing your dentist regularly.
Here are other services we provide for Bellerive, MO, patients:
- Dental Checkup
- Gum Disease Treatment
- Root Canal
- Teeth Implants
- Pediatric Dentist
- Cosmetic Dentistry Services
- Severe Tooth Pain
- Crowded Teeth
- All on 4 Dental Implants
- Chipped Tooth Repair
When Should You See a Periodontist?
Gum disease is preventable with daily brushing, flossing, and bi-annual dental cleanings. But, even with regular oral health maintenance, some patients are more genetically predisposed to gingivitis, periodontitis, and other oral health conditions.
Periodontitis can be detected during a dental examination using a dental "probe" to search for deep pockets surrounding the sides of teeth, x-rays to see if any bone loss has occurred, and discussing a patient's family oral health history. Additionally, factors such as smoking and diabetes can significantly contribute to the development of gum disease.
Symptoms that require periodontal disease treatment in Bellerive include:
- Swollen, tender, or bleeding gums - when periodontal bacteria develops, it can lead to extreme gum sensitivity, bleeding gums, and spacing between teeth
- Abnormal spaces between teeth - plaque buildup and calculus can lead to gum recession and tooth loss, and destroy the jaw bone
- Severe tooth pain - gum inflammation can cause deep pockets surrounding the teeth, that fill with pus, and when food, air, or water touches it, can lead to extreme sensitivity and pain, and make it challenging to eat, drink, or talk
Oral bacterial infections, such as periodontitis, can be prevented with regular visits to the dentist office, specialty dental products, and brushing/flossing at home between dental appointments. But, if you do develop periodontitis, it's essential to remember that it's entirely treatable and can be cured with aggressive periodontal disease treatment.
Periodontal Disease Treatment in Bellerive
There are several stages of gum disease; gingivitis and slight, moderate, and advanced periodontitis. Each stage of periodontitis comes with different challenges and therefore, requires specific types of treatment.
If your Bellerive Periodontist thinks that you might have periodontitis, you could require one or more of the following types of periodontal disease treatment:
- Scaling, or, plaque and buildup removal, which is performed using a dental scaler to scratch buildup from the surface of each individual tooth and between the gums
- Root planing, commonly known as "deep cleaning," is perfomed using a dental scaler to smooth down the roots of teeth to prevent infection. Root planing also helps teeth that might have loosened reattach to gums
- Applying topical antibiotics to the surface of the teeth, between each individual tooth, and along the gum line to eliminate existing bacteria and aid against regrowth
- Flap surgery is performed using a small dental knife to make a slight incision in the infected gum, then pulling back the flap and deep scaling/root planing
- Soft tissue grafting restores soft tissue damaged by periodontal disease
- Bone grafting, which is used during advanced periodontal disease treatment, takes small samples of bone from non-infected areas to help aid natural regrowth of bone and prevent future bone damage
- Guided tissue regeneration, which involves placing a fabric between existing bone and tooth to prevent deeper infection and allows bone to grow back over time
- Tissue-stimulating proteins are a special gel that is applied to a diseased tooth root to prevent deeper infection and stimulate natural growth of bone and tissue
After a Bellerive Periodontist performs in-office treatment, at-home prevention of periodontal disease typically involves brushing twice a day, flossing every morning and night or after every snack and meal, using special mouth rinses to prevent infection, and a dental pick to clean along the gum line.
Bellerive Periodontist
If you think that you might have periodontitis or another type of gum disease, you need to seek treatment from an experienced periodontist immediately. The sooner that gum disease and periodontal disease are detected, the lower chance there is for severe, irreversible damage such as tooth loss, gum decay, and bone destruction.
Dr. John Martin and Dr. Tyler Musto have more than 35 years of dental experience. Our goal at Martin Dental & Associates is to improve your oral health, prevent future tooth, gum, or other oral health conditions, and make sure that you are satisfied with our Bellerive dental services every time you visit our office.
If you are looking for a periodontist in Bellerive, call (314) 739-1222 (Maryland Heights), (573) 764-2425 (Gerald), or contact Martin Dental & Associates today to schedule an appointment.
Martin Dental & Associates serves residents in the following cities in the Greater St. Louis Area: