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Surgical treatment of the gums is necessary for more advanced disease, repair of bone defects or to repair root exposure/gum recession.  A confident, beautiful smile is one of the first things people notice about your face. If you’re not happy with your smile, Dr. Bishop can help! Just as cosmetic surgery has been helping people improve their appearance, several periodontal plastic surgery procedures are available to help enhance the aesthetics and long term health of your teeth and gums. Here are some examples of common procedures.

Pocket Depth Reduction

Deep pockets caused by periodontal disease can be corrected through pocket depth reduction. This procedure is used to clean the pockets and allow the gums and bone to heal.  Reducing pocket depth and eliminating existing bacteria are important to stop and prevent damage caused by the progression of periodontal disease.

Dental Implants

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root placed in the jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge in place or to provide support for a denture. Dental implants are the answer for many people with missing or damaged teeth. Implants look, feel and function just like your own teeth!

Ridge Augmentation

Ridge augmentation procedures are used to correct irregularities in the jawbone where your natural teeth are missing. They are also used to prevent the jawbone from collapsing after a tooth extraction, and help to even out the bone for placement of dental implants.

Root Coverage

Gingival grafting or enhancement of the gum tissue is done for several reasons.  By repairing or replacing lost gum tissue, Dr. Bishop can often cover discolored, worn or exposed roots back to their original appearance. Dr. Bishop will discuss how she can cover roots, develop gum tissue where needed, or make dental implants look more natural. By covering exposed roots it will protect them from decay or prepare your teeth for orthodontic treatment. Grafting often helps decrease sensitivity due to gum recession and your smile may also improve.

Treatment of “Gummy Smile” or Short Tooth

Gingival recontouring is a procedure to remove excess gum tissue, to expose the natural enamel or “crown” of the tooth. This procedure is for patients who feel their teeth are too short or their gum line is uneven.  It is often advised when the gum is excessive and remains chronically red, bleeding when flossing or tender.  The gum line is then sculpted to create the right proportion between gum tissue and enamel tooth surface. This can be done to just one tooth, or to enhance your entire smile.

Before After
Before treatment of "gummy smile" After treatment of "gummy smile"
Before After
Patient's mouth before treatment of "gummy smile" Patient's mouth after treatment of "gummy smile"

Crown Lengthening

The “crown” of the tooth is the white, shiny part made of enamel. If you break your tooth or get a cavity, that goes below the gumline, surgical procedures are available to treat the functional and esthetic concerns to help restore a broken or decayed tooth.  Dr. Bishop can expose the broken or decayed tooth so that your general dentist can repair it ideally.

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Meet Dr. Catherine Bishop,
Board Certified Periodontist

Our goal is to provide our patients with the best possible dental care in an environment of comfort and compassion.

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Self Referrals Accepted(309) 762-6900