Periodontist Earth City, MO
Periodontist services in Earth City, 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 Earth City, MO, Periodontist Do?
A periodontist is a specialist in the field of dental care, focusing on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of periodontal disease. They handle procedures like dental implant maintenance, soft tissue and bone grafting, tissue regeneration, crown repair, and gum grafting.
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 Earth City, MO. Contact our team today to get more information about our capabilities.
To avoid periodontitis, it's important to brush and floss regularly, avoid smoking, and visit your dentist routinely.
Additional services we provide Earth City, MO, patients include:
- 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?
Brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing daily, and visiting a dentist twice a year can help prevent gum disease, but some patients are more susceptible to certain oral health conditions.
Periodontal disease is typically detected during standard dentist appointments. During a dental examination, your dentist will use a "probe," which is a tiny ruler, to measure the depth of your teeth's pockets, search for bone loss or damage, and look for other signs of gum disease, oral cancer, and other conditions.
If you have noticed any of the following symptoms, you could have periodontitis and require immediate treatment from a Earth City Periodontist:
- 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
- Chronic 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 perodontitis, 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 keep in mind that it isn't permanent and can be healed with aggressive periodontal disease treatment.
Periodontal Disease Treatment in Earth City
There are several stages of gum disease; gingivitis and slight, moderate, and advanced periodontitis. Each level of periodontitis comes with different challenges and therefore, requires specialized treatment.
If your Earth City Periodontist thinks that you might have periodontitis, you could require one or more of the following types of periodontal disease treatment:
- Scaling, or, tartar 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 remove harmful bacteria from between a patient's teeth, inside deep pockets, and under the gum line
- 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 repairs soft tissue damage caused by periodontitis using small pieces of healthy tissue from other parts of the mouth
- Bone grafting, which is used during advanced periodontal disease treatment, involves using bone from non-infected areas to stimulate natural regrowth of bone and prevent future tooth loss
- Guided tissue regeneration is performed using a thin, but malleable, dental fabric, and placing it between the infected tooth and existing bone to limit infection and aid in regrowth of natural bone that was destroyed by periodontitis
- 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 Earth City Periodontist provides in-office treatment, at-home oral health maintenance involves brushing twice a day, flossing daily or after every snack and meal, using fluoride mouth rinses to prevent infection, and a water pick to clean along the gum line.
Earth City Periodontist
If you think that you might have periodontitis or some form of gum disease, you need to seek treatment from a Earth City 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 experienced in the St. Louis dental industry. Our goal at Martin Dental & Associates is to get your oral health in optimal shape, prevent future tooth, gum, or other oral health conditions, and make sure that you are happy with your experience every time you leave our office.
If you are looking for a periodontist in Earth City, 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: