Periodontist Hazelwood, MO
Periodontist care in Hazelwood, 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 Hazelwood, MO, Periodontist Do?
A periodontist is a dental specialist focused on diagnosing, preventing, and treating periodontal disease. Their expertise includes maintaining dental implants, performing soft tissue and bone grafts, facilitating tissue regeneration, repairing crowns, and conducting gum grafting procedures.
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 periodontists help prevent painful and even life-threatening oral diseases in Hazelwood, MO. Contact our team today for more information.
To avoid periodontitis, it's important to brush and floss regularly, avoid smoking, and visit your dentist routinely.
Here are other services we provide for Hazelwood, 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?
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 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 Hazelwood 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
- 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 contract periodontitis, it's important to keep in mind that it's entirely treatable and can be cured with aggressive periodontal disease treatment.
Periodontal Disease Treatment in Hazelwood
There are four stages of periodontal disease; gingivitis and slight, moderate, and advanced periodontitis. Each stage of gum disease comes with different challenges and therefore, requires specific types of treatment.
If your Hazelwood 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 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 bone damage
- 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 carefully applied to the root of infected teeth to prevent further infection and generate natural bone and healthy tissue
After your periodontist performs in-office treatment, at-home prevention of periodontal disease typically involves brushing twice daily, flossing daily or after every snack and meal, using fluoride mouth rinses to prevent infection, and a water pick to clean gums.
Hazelwood Periodontist
If you think that you might have periodontitis or another type of gum disease, you need to seek treatment from a Hazelwood 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 a combined total of over 35 years of experienced in the St. Louis dental industry. Our periodontists' goal is to get your oral health in optimal shape, prevent future tooth, gum, or other oral health conditions, and ensure that you are happy with our Hazelwood dental services every time you visit our office.
If you are looking for a periodontist in Hazelwood, 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: