Periodontist Ellisville, MO
Periodontist Ellisville, MO. Periodontal disease, which is a severe gum infection, usually begins as gingivitis, which is a moderate form of gum disease caused by plaque and other buildup. John Martin & Associates are here to help patients that may be struggling with various tooth and gum conditions. Contact our offices today or call us at (314) 739-1222 for our Maryland Heights location or (573) 764-2425 for our Gerald office to schedule an appointment.
What Does a Ellisville, MO, Periodontist Do?
A periodontist is a dental expert who specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of periodontal disease. This includes services such as dental implant maintenance, soft tissue grafting, bone grafting, tissue regeneration, crown repairs, and gum grafting.
John Martin & Associates provides:
- 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 oral health experts help prevent painful and even life-threatening oral diseases in Ellisville, MO. Contact our team today if you want to see a periodontist.
Regular brushing, flossing, abstaining from smoking, and routine dental visits are key to preventing periodontitis.
Additional services we provide Ellisville, MO, patients include:
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 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.
Symptoms that require periodontal disease treatment in Ellisville include:
- Swollen, tender, or bright red gums - when periodontal bacteria develops, it can lead to extreme gum sensitivity, bleeding gums, and spacing between teeth
- Abnormal spaces between teeth - plaque, tartar, and other buildup can cause a person's gums to recede, tooth loss, and, over time, erode 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 perodontitis, are preventable with biannual visits to the visit, brushing twice a day, and glossing, but if you do contract periodontitis, it's important to keep in mind that it isn't permanent and can be healed with aggressive periodontal disease treatment.
Periodontal Disease Treatment in Ellisville
There are several stages of periodontal disease; gingivitis and slight, moderate, and advanced periodontitis. Each stage of periodontitis has different challenges and therefore, requires specialized treatment.
If your Ellisville 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, or, the smoothing of a tooth's roots, to remove bacteria and other buildup in the area
- Applying topical antibiotics to remove harmful bacteria from between a patient's teeth, inside deep pockets, and under the gum line
- Flap surgery involves making a small incision in the gum, lifting it back, and performing deep scaling and root planing
- Soft tissue grafting restores soft tissue damaged by periodontal disease
- Bone grafting, which is used during advanced periodontal disease treatment, involves using 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 your periodontist provides in-office treatment, at-home prevention of periodontal disease typically involves brushing twice daily, flossing daily or after every snack and meal, using special mouth rinses to protect against infection, and a dental pick to clean along the gum line.
Ellisville Periodontist
If you think that you could have periodontitis or another type of gum disease, you need to seek treatment from an experienced periodontist right away. 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 a combined total of over 35 years of dental experience. Our periodontists' goal is to get your oral health in optimal shape, prevent future tooth, gum, or other oral health conditions, and make sure that you are satisfied with our Ellisville dental services every time you visit our office.
If you are looking for a Ellisville Periodontist, 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: