Periodontist Overland, MO
Periodontist care in Overland, 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 Overland, 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 oral health experts help prevent painful and even life-threatening oral diseases in Overland, MO. Get in touch with us now to learn more.
Peridontitis can be avoided by routine brushing, flossing, not smoking, and making routine visits to the dentist.
Here are other services we provide for Overland, MO, patients:
- 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
- Best Dentist Near Me
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 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 Overland Periodontist:
- Swollen, tender, or bright red 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 buildup and calculus can lead to gum recession and tooth loss, and destroy 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
In many cases, periodontal disease 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 Overland
There are four stages of periodontal disease; gingivitis and slight, moderate, and advanced periodontitis. Each stage of gum disease has its own challenges and therefore, requires specialized treatment.
If your Overland 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 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, takes small samples of 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 carefully applied to the root of infected teeth to prevent further infection and generate natural bone and healthy tissue
After a Overland Periodontist performs in-office treatment, at-home prevention of periodontal disease typically involves brushing twice a day, flossing every morning and night or after every snack and meal, using special mouth rinses to prevent infection, and a water pick to clean along the gum line.
Overland Periodontist
If you think that you could have periodontitis or another type of gum disease, you need to get help from an experienced 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 ensure that you are happy with your experience every time you leave our office.
If you are looking for a Overland 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: