Your oral health depends on the condition of your gums since strong gums form the base of every healthy smile. People frequently fail to recognize the value of gum health until they experience symptoms like discomfort, tooth loss, or potentially serious medical conditions. Periodontics is the ideal solution to treat these conditions.

Our Los Angeles Advanced Dentistry team assists patients suffering from gum disease with expert periodontal care. Anyone experiencing mild gum inflammation or severe periodontal disease can receive specialized care and customized periodontal treatment at our clinic.

What Periodontics Mean

Periodontics is a specialized dentistry branch focusing on preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases that impact the teeth-supporting structures of the periodontium. Your teeth receive support from four key structures:

  • Your gums (gingiva)
  • The bone of your jaw (alveolar bone)
  • The cementum that covers your tooth roots
  • The periodontal ligament that connects your teeth to the bone

Periodontics draws its name from two Greek words where “peri” means “surrounding” and “odont” means “tooth.”

A periodontist is a specialist who performs periodontal treatments. In addition to standard dental education, they hold three years of extra special training. The specialized training enables a periodontist to treat periodontal diseases and place dental implants.

Conditions that Periodontics Address

As a specialty field of dentistry, periodontics involves the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of dental conditions that affect the periodontal tissue structures. These include:

Gingivitis

The first visible symptom of periodontal disease manifests as gingivitis because it causes inflammation of your gum tissue. The formation of plaque builds up because you fail to maintain proper oral hygiene, which causes this condition. Plaque accumulation causes gum tissue irritation, resulting in redness, swelling, and bleeding when brushing or flossing teeth. The symptoms of gingivitis exist without damaging the deeper parts of your teeth, which include bone and connective tissues.

Mild Periodontal Disease

Gingivitis advances into mild periodontal disease. The inflammation now spreads past gum tissue to affect the supporting structures that maintain your teeth. Plaque turns into hardened tartar, which remains on teeth unless brushed and flossed regularly. This is because it irritates gums while permitting dangerous bacteria to move deeper below the gum line.

The early stages of periodontal disease show three noticeable symptoms: persistent bad breath, gum recession, and slight pain when eating and drinking. Bacteria tend to accumulate in the spaces that develop between teeth and gums, leading to bacterial multiplication.

Moderate Periodontal Disease

At the moderate stage, gum disease spreads deeper into your gums, damaging the anchoring bone and connective tissues that support your teeth. Gum pockets deepen as bacteria invade the space, leading to increased damage. The continuing destruction progresses to endanger the stability of your teeth unless professional intervention occurs.

People with moderate periodontal disease experience increased gum recession, noticeable swelling, and bleeding during regular brushing or flossing activities. The increasing severity of bone loss triggers heightened sensitivity, discomfort, and loose teeth, which can coexist.

Advanced Periodontal Disease

Advanced periodontal disease manifests as significant destruction of the gums, bone deterioration, and damage to the connective tissues that hold teeth in place. The infection advances deeply into your mouth's structures, resulting in severe bone deterioration, and may cause your teeth to shift or fall out.

 Advanced periodontal disease has multiple symptoms that include long-term persistent foul breath combined with intense gum exposure, abscesses containing pus, and noticeable tooth displacement.

The experience of advanced periodontal disease creates multiple challenges because it damages oral performance as well as your body’s wellness. Tongue movement during speech or chewing becomes difficult because your unstable teeth create discomfort. Advanced periodontal disease triggers inflammatory responses, which can increase the likelihood of developing systemic health complications that connect to heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory conditions.

When to See a Periodontist

People tend to ignore their gum health because they focus more on visible oral hygiene conditions. However, early detection of periodontal issues helps you avoid both intense pain and serious complications that result from untreated periodontal disease.

Halitosis

When bad breath or halitosis persists, it indicates a serious oral health issue. A persistent odor that lingers after regular brushing and flossing suggests infection in your gum tissues, possibly gingivitis or periodontitis. The accumulation of bacterial plaque at the gumline and inside periodontal pockets causes bad breath, known as halitosis, in patients with periodontal disease.

Bleeding While Eating or Brushing

The appearance of bleeding gums seems harmless, but this signals the development of gum disease. Routine activities like eating and brushing should not cause bleeding, so do not dismiss this as a consequence of brushing too hard or flossing incorrectly. Healthy gums do not bleed regardless of how light the cause of irritation becomes.

Loose Teeth and Gums

Your teeth should remain in their natural position if you have healthy gums and strong bone support. Warning signs of progressing periodontal disease include feelings of loose teeth and receding gums. When periodontal infection advances, bacteria start attacking the alveolar bone framework that anchors teeth and attacking soft gum tissues. The deterioration process weakens your tooth foundation, which increases your risk of tooth movement, followed by instability and, eventually, tooth loss.

When gum recession affects teeth, they become loose, revealing more of the root surface and creating heightened sensitivity when eating hot, cold, or sweet foods. More bacteria thrive in deep pockets, speeding up bone loss and thus worsening oral health conditions.

Diagnosing Periodontal Disease

The diagnosis of periodontal disease requires customized assessment methods. A periodontist performs clinical examinations, advanced imaging, and bacterial analysis to evaluate gum health and define the disease severity.

A complete visual examination starts the assessment process during your visit. Your periodontist checks your gummy appearance to detect signs of inflammation and evaluates gum recession and unusual tooth pocket formation. Healthy gums display firm pink tissue, but infected gums show red, swollen tissue that bleeds easily. The human eye cannot detect all instances of periodontal disease, so a comprehensive evaluation procedure becomes essential.

Periodontal probing is a diagnostic instrument. It is a small calibrated tool that allows your periodontist to measure the depth of spaces between your teeth and gum tissue. A healthy mouth's pockets between teeth and gums stay no more profound than three millimeters.

Bacteria enter the gums and detach the tissue, creating deep areas where infection can grow. Periodontal pockets measuring at or above four millimeters in depth often signal gum disease, and deeper pockets indicate more severe stages of tissue deterioration.

Dental X-rays are other diagnostic tools that provide precise insights about conditions within the mouth. Special X-ray technology produces images that show what cannot be viewed by human eyes, including bone loss, hidden infections, and alterations in supporting tissue structures.

Bacterial testing, together with genetic screenings, helps provide advanced diagnostic information. Analyzing bacteria types in your mouth allows periodontists to design individualized treatments that attack root infections specifically. Through genetic testing, doctors can recognize patients at high risk for severe periodontal disease to provide preventive care to avoid significant tissue damage.

Common Periodontal Procedures

Modern periodontics includes multiple treatments that stop gum disease progression while restoring oral function and appearance. Periodontists use current surgical and non-surgical methods to protect your oral health based on the severity of your condition. The type of procedure needed for gum disease treatment depends on how severe your gum disease is, the amount of tissue damage present, and your overall dental health status.

Non-Surgical Procedures

Non-surgical treatments perform well during initial periodontal disease stages to fight infections while fostering healing so patients avoid more aggressive procedures. The procedures remove harmful bacteria and reduce inflammation while restoring gum health, preventing the need for surgical procedures with incisions or sutures. Periodontists utilize tailored methods to treat plaque and tartar deposits below the gums since regular brushing and flossing cannot access these areas.

  • Scaling and Root Planing

Harmful bacteria multiply in the space between teeth and gums, where plaque and tartar accumulate, leading to tissue damage and inflammation of supporting structures. Deep cleaning through scaling and root planing goes beyond standard dental cleaning, targeting these deposits to halt the progression of gum disease.

Your periodontist or dental hygienist uses precise techniques to remove plaque, tartar, and bacterial toxins from tooth surfaces and areas beneath the gum line during scaling. Following root planing, your dentist will smooth tooth roots to minimize bacterial growth while facilitating gum tissue recovery. The number of visits needed for this procedure depends on the severity of your condition.

  • Periodontal Tray Delivery Systems

Periodontal tray delivery systems give patients a specific method to control gum disease between dental appointments. The custom-fitted trays function like whitening but deliver specifically prescribed antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory medications directly to the gum pockets.

Your periodontist creates periodontal trays using precise dental impressions, which ensure the medication effectively reaches impacted gum areas.

Patients use prescribed solutions, such as antibiotics or antiseptics, to fight infections, reduce inflammation, and protect bone structures supporting the teeth. Your periodontist controls the daily wearing time of the trays according to your treatment plan.

Periodontal trays work well with scaling and root planing procedures to treat patients with moderate through advanced periodontal disease. Regular use of this system leads to better gum health and reduced pocket depth while decreasing the requirement for advanced procedures.

Surgical Procedures

Surgical intervention becomes essential after non-surgical treatments fail to control periodontal disease to protect the teeth, gums, and underlying bone structure. Surgical procedures remove deep pockets while regenerating tissue and strengthening oral health structures. A periodontist evaluates your condition to determine which surgical method will work best for your case. Examples of procedures are:

  • Gingivectomy

During a gingivectomy, surgeons remove extra gum tissue while treating deep periodontal pockets and contouring the gum line. Advanced gum disease leads to tissue inflammation, forming pockets obstructing proper tooth cleaning. A gingivectomy achieves oral health restoration by surgically removing excess or diseased gum tissue to decrease pocket depth.

Periodontists consider a gingivectomy as a treatment solution when specific conditions exist. Severe periodontitis patients benefit from this treatment, which removes diseased tissue to protect their teeth and prevent bone deterioration. Your dentist might use this treatment to enhance your smile appearance when you exhibit too much gum tissue beyond your teeth, creating a "gummy smile" look. Some patients need gingivectomy procedures for better access when receiving dental restorations, including fillings and crowns.

  • Gingival Flap Surgery (Osseous Surgery)

Gingival flap surgery enables your periodontist to access deep periodontal pockets to clean and remove diseased tissue while reshaping bone structures to decrease future infection risks after non-surgical treatments fail.

Persistent periodontal pockets create a bacterial trap that endangers your gums and supporting bone tissue. The condition remains untreated; it causes teeth to fall out while creating serious medical problems throughout the body.

Gingival flap surgery is ideal before the periodontist moves toward tooth extractions and complex restorative procedures. Through the procedure, your periodontist removes infection by accessing the roots and bone structure, which becomes visible after lifting away gum tissue.

The treatment starts with local anesthesia. Then, your periodontist creates a flap through small incisions near the gum line to show the underlying tooth roots and jawbone. With precision tools, they remove plaque, tartar, and infected tissue precisely. Bone smoothing procedures may occur to eliminate areas where bacteria can thrive. Following complete disinfection and cleaning of the treatment area, the periodontist will readjust and suture the gum flap.

  • Regenerative Procedures

Periodontal regenerative procedures help patients regain lost gum tissue and bone that periodontal disease has destroyed. Through these treatments, healing processes become activated while tissue grows naturally, and additional damage is prevented. The treatment restores your oral foundation through its ability to rebuild deep pockets and bone loss and treat receding gums.

The treatment includes both bacteria removal and diseased tissue clearance, guided tissue regeneration, bone grafting, and biological agents for tissue healing. Patients undergo procedures under local anesthesia before receiving antimicrobial rinse treatment and requiring follow-up appointments. Integrating regenerated tissues with surrounding tooth structures leads to stronger teeth and decreased chances of future periodontal issues.

  • Gum Graft Surgery

Gum graft surgery rebuilds lost gum tissue, defending against root exposure while making your smile more attractive. Receding gums due to periodontal disease, hard brushing, or genetic factors result in sensitivity and decay, eventually leading to tooth loss.

The surgical procedure uses healthy tissue from the palate or nearby gum to place on the damaged area for healing. The choice of graft techniques depends on patient requirements, including:

  • Pedicle (lateral) graft. pedicle grafts utilize nearby gum tissue for healing
  • Free gingival graft. free gingival grafts help thicken thin gums
  • Connective tissue graft. Connective tissue grafts provide adequate root coverage

The specialized treatment helps to build gum health while stopping the progression of recession and ensuring dental stability over the long term.

  • Dental Implants

Dental implants represent a permanent fix for tooth loss arising from periodontal disease, damage, or tooth decay. Unlike denture or bridge solutions, the osseointegration of implants with the jawbone produces stability while protecting bone tissue from loss. The implant system includes a titanium root that serves as the tooth root and an abutment unit that links to a custom-made dental crown.

The dental implant procedure starts with a dental examination, followed by possible bone grafting and implant placement, which is then healed before installing the permanent restoration. Through osseointegration, implants join with jawbone tissue, restoring appearance and function while protecting facial contours—the combination of proper care results in durable, lifelong tooth replacements for missing teeth.

  • Frenectomy

Surgical removal or adjustment of the frenulum is a minor procedure in which surgeons tackle the tissue band that connects the lips, cheeks, and tongue to the gum tissue. A tight frenulum can cause problems with speech, difficulties eating, and oral health issues.

The surgical procedure includes two different approaches:

  • labial frenectomy for upper lip frenulum correction
  • lingual frenectomy for tongue-tie treatment

Local anesthesia with either a scalpel or laser allows this brief procedure to cause minimal pain to patients. The recovery process goes smoothly, and patients achieve better oral function, comfort, and decreased susceptibility to gum recession.

Periodontal Plastic Surgery Procedures

Periodontal plastic surgery fixes irregularities of gums and jawbones that stem from disease genetics and traumatic events to enhance both appearance and oral wellness. These surgical procedures balance the mouth while correcting irregularities in gums and jawbones to minimize sensitivity, protect tooth roots, and stop damage progression.

  • Uneven Gum Line

When gum lines are not even, teeth' appearance becomes irregular and asymmetrical, whether due to natural genetic factors, periodontal disease, or aggressive brushing habits. Excessive gum tissue efficiently traps bacteria, yet gum recession exposes tooth roots. Periodontists achieve better symmetry while enhancing oral health through their expertise in gum reshaping, contouring, or grafting procedures.

  • Exposed Roots

Exposure to tooth roots by receding gums causes sensitive discomfort and higher risks of decay development. The main factors leading to such appearance are aggressive brushing techniques, periodontal issues, and natural genetic predisposition. The gum grafting surgical procedure uses tissue from different mouth regions to cover exposed areas and provides better gum support while reducing sensitivity and improving smile appearance.

  • Indented Gums and Jawbone

The absence of teeth or the presence of periodontal disease produces indentations that create a sunken and uneven appearance of the gums and jawbone. Ridge augmentation through soft tissue or bone grafting restores the natural tooth structure to build a solid base that allows dental work to proceed while improving functional stability and appearance.

Find a Los Angeles Periodontist Near Me

The condition of your gums can make or break your smile. If you have periodontal disease symptoms, consult a qualified periodontist. They can manage gingivitis in its early stages or fight periodontitis in its advanced stages.

At Los Angeles Advanced Dentistry, we use specialized tools and advanced techniques to protect your gum health, stop tooth loss, and improve your smile appearance. Contact our Los Angeles office at 310-361-2080 to schedule your appointment.