Periodontist Hermann, MO
Periodontist in Hermann, MO. Periodontal disease, a severe gum infection, typically starts as gingivitis, a moderate gum disease caused by plaque and other buildup. John Martin & Associates are dedicated to assisting patients with various tooth and gum conditions. Contact us today or call us at (314) 739-1222 for our Maryland Heights office or (573) 764-2425 for our Gerald location to schedule your appointment.
What Does a Hermann, MO, Periodontist Do?
A periodontist is a specialist dental office that specializes in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of periodontal disease. This might include maintaining dental implants, soft tissue grafts, bone grafts, tissue regeneration, crown repair, 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 periodontists help prevent painful and even life-threatening oral diseases in Hermann, MO. Get in touch with us today if you want to see a periodontist.
Prevent periodontitis by maintaining good oral hygiene with routine brushing and flossing, not smoking, and seeing your dentist regularly.
Additional services we provide Hermann, 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.
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.
If you have noticed any of the following symptoms, you could have periodontitis and require immediate treatment from a Hermann Periodontist:
- Swollen, tender, or bleeding gums - periodontal disease affects the gums and jaw bone - if your gums are bright red, sore, swollen, or painful, you could have gum disease
- 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 - periodontal bacteria can destroy a person's gums and cause deep and painful pockets that can become filled with pus and abscess
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 essential to keep in mind that it isn't permanent and can be healed with aggressive periodontal disease treatment.
Periodontal Disease Treatment in Hermann
There are four stages of periodontal disease; gingivitis and slight, moderate, and advanced periodontitis. Each stage of gum disease has different challenges and therefore, requires specialized treatment.
If your Hermann 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 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, involves using bone from non-infected areas to help aid 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 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 Hermann Periodontist provides in-office treatment, at-home oral health maintenance involves brushing twice a day, flossing every morning and night or after every snack and meal, using fluoride mouth rinses to protect against infection, and a water pick to clean deep under the gums.
Hermann Periodontist
If you think that you could have periodontitis or some form 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 improve your oral health, prevent future tooth, gum, or other oral health conditions, and make sure that you are satisfied with our Hermann dental services every time you visit our office.
If you are looking for a Hermann 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: