Periodontal Treatments in ABQ

Brian K. Dennis, DDS PC provides periodontal services in Albuquerque, NM. Call 505-292-1051 to learn more and schedule your appointment. 

Oral health isn’t just about the condition of your teeth. Your gums are just as important. Gums are the supporting tissue that holds teeth in place; when the gums aren’t healthy, it can lead to bleeding, pain, and eventually tooth loss. 

Dr. Dennis performs periodontal procedures to treat gum disease and improve the health of the structures that hold teeth in place, but as a specialist in aesthetics, he also provides cosmetic periodontal surgeries to create a more balanced smile. Dr. Dennis believes that when it comes to periodontal disease, it’s important to take a conservative approach. For better patient outcomes and comfort, our practice utilizes dental lasers in the treatment of gum disease.

Scaling and root planing is the first line of treatment for gum disease. This non-surgical, minimally-invasive procedure involves removing plaque and tartar from below the gum line and then smoothing the roots of the teeth to encourage the gums to reattach, eliminating the pockets where plaque collects.

When gum disease progresses, bone mass is lost in the jaw and teeth start to become loose. Periodontal splinting is used to stabilize and support loose teeth. Methods used to accomplish this include a stabilizing wire or ribbon, composite resin, crowns, inlays/onlays, or veneers.

ARESTIN® is a locally-applied antibiotic that is used in conjunction with scaling and root planing and pocket reduction to treat periodontal disease. This targeted treatment uses minocycline microspheres to fight infection with a sustained-release antibiotic. Arestin may also be used as part of a regular periodontal maintenance program.

Benefits of ARESTIN® include: 

• • There is no local anesthesia, adhesive, or dressing required

  • The microspheres are bioresorbed so there is no need for removal

  • The antibiotic remains active in the pocket for an extended period of time

Crown lengthening can be performed prior to crown placement to expose more tooth structure, but it is also used as a cosmetic treatment to correct a “gummy” smile.

This procedure is used to treat gum recession that leaves the roots of the teeth exposed. Tissue from elsewhere in the mouth is removed and stitched into the area that needs repair.

Learn more about Gum Grafting

When bone loss has occurred, bone grafting is used to replace or strengthen the bone structure that supports the teeth. The bone can be taken from your own body, from a donor or animal, or from synthetic material. Bone grafting is often performed prior to a dental implant procedure to ensure that the implants have a stable base of support.

When gum disease does not respond to less invasive means of treatment, a pocket depth reduction surgery can be used to smooth and reshape the bone under the gums. The goal is to create a shallower pocket where plaque and bacteria cannot collect and damage the supporting structures that surround the teeth.

During bone regeneration surgery, the gum tissue is folded back in order to remove plaque and bacteria. Membranes, bone grafts, or tissue-stimulating proteins are used to encourage the body’s natural ability to regenerate tissue and bone that has been damaged by periodontal disease.

Bone loss in the jaw often begins with a tooth extraction; the bone begins to collapse around the empty socket, leading to a whole host of periodontal issues. With ridge preservation, bone grafting material is placed directly into the empty tooth socket to strengthen the weakened area and boost the body’s capacity to regenerate bone.

Call 505-292-1051 to schedule your appointment.