Periodontist Frontenac, MO
Periodontist care in Frontenac, MO. Periodontal disease, a severe infection of the gums, usually starts as gingivitis, a milder gum disease caused by plaque accumulation. John Martin & Associates are here to assist patients dealing with various tooth and gum issues. Contact us today or call (314) 739-1222 for our Maryland Heights office or (573) 764-2425 for our Gerald office to schedule your appointment.
What Does a Frontenac, MO, Periodontist Do?
A periodontist specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of gum disease. Their services often include maintaining dental implants, performing soft tissue and bone grafts, regenerating tissue, 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 dentists help prevent painful and even life-threatening oral diseases in Frontenac, MO. Get in touch with us now for more information.
Prevent periodontitis by maintaining good oral hygiene with routine brushing and flossing, not smoking, and seeing your dentist regularly.
Additional services we provide Frontenac, 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?
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.
If you have noticed any of the following symptoms, you could have periodontitis and require immediate treatment from a Frontenac Periodontist:
- 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 - under the gum line 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, are preventable with biannual visits to the visit, brushing twice a day, and glossing, 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 Frontenac
There are four stages of gum disease; gingivitis and slight, moderate, and advanced periodontitis. Each level of gum disease comes with its own challenges and therefore, requires specific types of treatment.
If your Frontenac Periodontist detects gingivitis or another form of gum disease during your visit, 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 the surface of the teeth, between each individual tooth, and along the gum line to eliminate existing bacteria and aid against regrowth
- 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, takes small samples of 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 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 prevent infection, and a dental pick to clean deep under the gums.
Frontenac Periodontist
If you think that you could have periodontitis or some form of gum disease, you need to get help from an experienced periodontist immediately. Early detection of gingivitis can prevent severe oral health 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 ensure that you are satisfied with our Frontenac dental services every time you visit our office.
If you are looking for a Frontenac 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: