- 88-12 55th Avenue Elmhurst, NY 11373
TREATMENT OPTIONS
If you’ve been diagnosed with gum disease, there are a variety of treatment options depending on the details of your situation and the severity of the problem. We always start with the least invasive options, which are non-surgical. However, in more serious cases, surgery may be necessary.
The first line of defense against gum disease is a unique type of cleaning called “scaling and root planing.” In this procedure, an ultrasonic cleaning device is used to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth where regular cleaning devices can’t reach: under the gum line, on the tooth, and around the root. Then, the rough surface of the tooth and the root are smoothed out (planed). This provides a healthy, clean surface that makes it easier for the gum tissue to reattach to the tooth.
If you address your gum disease before it becomes severe, scaling and root planing may be the only treatment you need. However, as with any dental procedure, after-care is vital. In order to keep your teeth in good shape and resist future occurrences of gum disease, you must brush and floss daily, eat a healthy diet, avoid tobacco use, and have regular dental checkups. Even after a successful scaling and root planing, if you don’t attend to your teeth properly, it’s quite likely that you’ll develop gum disease again.
If the tissue or bone surrounding your teeth is too damaged to be repaired with non-surgical treatment, several surgical procedures are available to prevent severe damage and to restore a healthy smile. We will recommend the procedure that is best suited to the condition of your teeth and gums. Following is a list of common types of periodontal surgery:
In a healthy mouth, the teeth are firmly surrounded by gum tissue and securely supported by the bones of the jaw. Periodontal disease damages these tissues and bones, leaving open spaces around the teeth that we call pockets.
To learn if the procedure is right for you, schedule an appointment with our GSmile Dental office by calling
(929)388-1255.
When the bone and tissue supporting the teeth have been lost due to severe gum disease, we can restore these areas with a regeneration procedure. During this process, we begin by folding back the gum tissue and removing the bacteria, plaque, and tartar.
Depending on your situation, we may then perform a bone graft to stimulate new bone growth, or we may apply a special kind of protein that stimulates tissue growth to repair the areas that have been destroyed by the disease.
A frequent symptom of gum disease is gum recession (also called gingival recession). As the gums recede, more of the roots are revealed. This can make teeth appear longer and can also create sensitivity to hot or cold liquids or food.
It also exposes the tooth to increased damage from gum disease, as bacteria, plaque, and tartar attack the surface of the tooth and the root.
During a soft-tissue graft, tissue from the top of your mouth or another source is sewed to the gum area, covering the roots and restoring the gum line to its original, healthy location. This procedure can also be performed for cosmetic reasons.
Dr. Gil Dechavez obtained his first dental degree from the University of the East in the Philippines in 1984. He practiced dentistry in the Philippines until he moved to the United States in 1985. In Queens, he operated a crown and bridge dental laboratory in Queens that served the Tri-state area. He continuously managed the laboratory even while attending New York University College of Dentistry and doing an extended hospital rotation at St. Vincent Catholic Medical Centers.
After obtaining his Doctorate of Dental Surgery from New York University in 2002, he practiced dentistry in Manhattan for several years. Now, Dr. Dechavez draws from more than 20 years worth of experience in prestigious institutions and working alongside other talented dentists to provide quality care and aesthetic work to his patients. He and his dedicated staff are committed to serving you
Dr. Dechavez recommends that patients remove their aligner and rinse it with warm water on a daily basis. You may also want to brush them with a soft toothbrush.
For most patients living in the Elmhurst NY area, the procedure takes around twelve months. The exact timeframe will depend on your situation, and only Dr. Dechavez can tell you how long they will need to be worn. out a new aligner. Overall, the treatment time can be less than with metal braces. This is in part because you don’t have to schedule appointments to keep your teeth moving. Simply pull out a new aligner.
Unlike wearing traditional braces, Invisalign won’t make a major impact on your quality of life. Since the aligners are clear, it won’t impact your appearance. Additionally, since they only need to be worn for 22 hours a day, they will not interfere with eating. This is a huge advantage because you can eat your favorite plate of ribs, go out for a romantic date, or eat a caramel apple without worrying about something becoming stuck in your teeth or a wire being pulled out of place. This time also allows you to take the aligner out when having an important conversation or making a presentation at work. Overall, this is a convenient way to straighten your teeth and provides the maximum level of flexibility. Some people are concerned about whether or not wearing an aligner will impact their speech. Most of our Elmhurst patients tell us that they have to get used to wearing aligners after the first couple of days. Sometimes, patients have a slight lisp which goes away once they become used to speaking while wearing them. This is standard with any orthodontic procedure but fortunately; most people can speak normally within a couple of days.
