Please call the office to schedule your initial consultation. It is important that Dr. Bradford L. Klassman examine you and evaluate your periodontal health before a specific treatment recommendation can be made. Depending on the nature of your periodontal problem, it is possible that treatment can be initiated at your first visit. If your dentist has given you X-rays please bring them with you. If not, it is because more current, specific X-rays need to be taken at our office.
- Please bring all dental insurance information.
- If you must reschedule your appointment, please call the office at least 48 hours in advance.
We are the only practice in Delaware to offer in-office CAT scan for three-dimensional imaging for implant planning.
Periodontal Care
Periodontal treatment is necessary when various conditions affect the health of your gums and the regions of your jawbone, which hold your teeth in place. Retaining your teeth is directly dependent on proper periodontal care and maintenance. Healthy gums enhance the appearance of your teeth. When your gums become unhealthy, they can either recede or become swollen and red. In later stages of periodontal disease, the supporting bone is destroyed and your teeth will shift, loosen or fall out. These changes not only affect your smile, but they can also affect your ability to chew and speak.
Periodontal (gum) disease is caused by an infection started by bacteria, which lives in plaque (material left behind when teeth are not brushed and flossed carefully). This disease damages the teeth, gum and jawbone of more than 80 percent of Americans by age 45. It is the major cause of tooth loss in adults.
It is a progressive and usually painless process in which bacteria living in dental plaque causes an infection in the crevices between your gums and your teeth. This infection causes the destruction of the bone anchoring your teeth. Left untreated, the disease accelerates because you cannot remove the bacteria as it spreads deeper into the crevices (or pockets) between your gums and teeth.
Treatment usually consists of a deep scaling to remove bacterial plaque and tartar (also called calculus) from under your gums. Surgical therapy may be needed to provide access to the roots of your teeth, so the bacteria can be completely removed. Surgical therapy is needed to eliminate pockets, regenerate bone loss and create an environment that can be kept clean.
Localized Gum Recession
The thicker, pink gum tissue that surrounds the base of the tooth is called attached gingiva because it is bound to the bone and root surface by strong fibers (ligaments). This gum tissue acts as a barrier to prevent bacteria from causing infection and inflammation that destroy the bone anchoring the teeth in your mouth. This attached gingiva can recede and become thinner or disappear completely for a number of reasons. When this occurs, it is important to replace the missing attached tissue as soon as possible to prevent bacterial infection, bone loss and eventual loss of the affected teeth. It is important to treat the problem early since successful treatment becomes more complex and uncertain, as increasing amounts of tissue are lost. In some instances, the exposed root surface can be covered again. Treatment usually consists of placing a gum graft over the defect. The procedure involves taking a small piece of gum tissue from the roof of your mouth and placing it over the exposed root surface. The procedure takes about one hour and requires only local anesthesia (Novocain).
Crown Lengthening
Crown lengthening is required when your tooth needs a new crown or other restoration, and the edge of that restoration is deep below the gum tissue and not accessible.
Crown Lengthening involves adjusting the levels of the gum tissue and bone around the tooth in question to create a new gum-to-tooth-to-bone relationship. This allows us to reach the edge of the restoration, ensuring a proper fit to the tooth and provides enough tooth structure so the new restoration will not come loose in the future. It also allows you to clean the edge of the restoration when you brush and floss.