Charlottesville Periodontics at South Side Dental Center
The original Home of Charlottesville Periodontics and Dr. Donald M. Spano, we have been treating Periodontal Patients in the Charlottesville Area since 1983. Today, we continue to regularly treat Periodontal Patients and their Gum Disease.
Although Gum Disease affects more than half of the adult population, those affected often do not know they have the disease because it is usually a painless, silent process. This means that you may have Gum Disease and not even know it until it’s too late to treat!
Fortunately, with periodontal disease treatment in Charlottesville by Dr. Spano and Dr. Hart, we are able to successfully manage your periodontitis. Using a small measuring device to gently measure the gums around the teeth along with specialized digital radiography, Dr. Spano and Dr. Hart can accurately diagnose periodontal diseases and develop a treatment plan to manage your condition. Call today to set up your exam with Dr. Spano and Dr. Hart.
More Information
- Non-surgical Therapy
- Periodontal Maintenance
- Soft Tissue Grafting
- Bone Grafting
Non-surgical Therapy
The first step for your periodontal disease treatment at South Side Dental Center is reducing the bacterial load from the mouth. Scaling and Root Planing consists of removing hard and soft bacterial deposits from the tooth and root surfaces. Scaling and Root Planing is a deeper type of cleaning in which the hygienist reaches deep into the gingiva to clean deeper deposits of plaque and calculus. In some cases, bacteria attach so firmly to the tooth, your dental professional has to use specialized instruments to remove them. The cleaning is so thorough that it is usually done under the comfort of local anesthesia. Your therapy may also include the use of antibiotics or medicated mouth rinses to further control the periodontal infection. A re-evaluation is done 4 to 8 weeks later by the doctor to assess healing, how the tissue responded, and whether any further treatment is necessary to achieve optimal health.
Dr. Spano and Dr. Hart may also identify other factors that contribute to the health of the gums such as smoking and tobacco use, diabetes, stress, certain medications, tooth grinding and clenching, and even poor nutrition. Addressing these factors may have a positive effect on periodontal health.
Dr. Spano and Dr. Hart will re-evaluate the gum tissue 4 to 8 weeks after Scaling and Root Planing to assess whether the initial periodontal treatment was sufficient to control your disease, or if further treatment is necessary to stop your bone loss. Many patients do not require any further treatment, only preventive care, or Periodontal Maintenance.
Periodontal Maintenance
Believe it or not, your therapy doesn’t end after surgery. In fact, Periodontal Maintenance at South Side Dental Center may be the most important part of your care! Because bacteria continuously grow in your mouth, they mature into a pathologic biofilm after about 90 days (roughly three months). This is why Dr. Spano and Dr. Hart will usually recommend periodontal maintenance four times a year. At each visit, your periodontal condition will be closely monitored and oral hygiene instructions will be reinforced. After all, this is only four times a year; it’s the other 360 days we want to be effective!
Soft Tissue Grafting (Periodontal Plastic Surgery)
At some point in their life, many people will be told by their dentist that they will need a gum graft. A gum graft will protect your teeth from any damaging effects of gum recession. This will help improve the appearance of your smile.
Gum recession happens when the tissue that surrounds the tooth pulls away from the tooth. This exposes more of the tooth or even the tooth’s root. This can cause damage to your supporting bone. Many people do not even realize their gums have receded. This is because it can happen so slowly. This is also one of the reasons it is so important to visit your dentist on a regular basis.
Prepare Your Mouth for Dental Implants with Bone Grafting
Do you want the advantages of dental implants, but have low bone density or width? Bone grafting may be the right solution!
Have you suffered from bone loss at the site of a missing tooth? Before you can enjoy the benefits of dental implants, you will likely need to undergo bone grafting at South Side Dental Center with Dr. Spano and Dr. Hart. We help patients get the tooth implants they want by building the surrounding bone through safe bone grafting procedures.
POST OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS
When a tooth falls out or is extracted, the body has a natural response – bone loss. Basically, the bone that held the natural tooth is no longer stimulated, so it starts to be resorbed into the body. After a period of time, the bone loss can be so dramatic that your facial structure appears to sink-in.
At our office, our periodontists perform bone grafting on-site with care and precision. This leads to excellent results, and gives patients the strong, dense bone necessary to accept permanent tooth implants.