What treatment actually looks like

The Concern

A patient comes in after being told elsewhere that there is not enough bone for an implant, usually after years of living with a gap from a missing tooth.

The Evaluation

An exam and imaging show how much bone has actually been lost, and whether the site can be rebuilt. Often it can.

The Treatment

Bone grafting rebuilds the site first. Once it has healed, typically over a period of months, the implant is placed into a foundation that can actually support it.

The Outcome

What started as "you are not a candidate" ends with a functioning implant. The timeline is longer than a straightforward case, but the door that seemed closed was not.

The Concern

A patient returns to care after years away, often prompted by bleeding gums, bad breath that will not go away, or teeth that have started to feel loose.

The Evaluation

Periodontal charting measures the depth of the pockets around each tooth and shows how far the disease has progressed, from early gingivitis to more advanced bone loss.

The Treatment

Early stages are treated with deep cleanings, scaling and root planing below the gumline. More advanced cases may need osseous surgery to reduce the pockets and access the bone directly.

The Outcome

Ongoing periodontal maintenance, cleanings on a schedule tighter than a routine dental visit, keeps the disease from returning. Teeth that were loose usually stabilize once the infection is controlled.

The Concern

A patient notices a tooth looks longer than the others, or that a specific spot has become sensitive to cold. Both are signs the gum has receded and the root is exposed.

The Evaluation

The exam identifies how much recession has occurred and whether it is isolated to one tooth or a wider pattern, often linked to brushing habits or the position of the tooth.

The Treatment

A connective tissue graft covers the exposed root with tissue, typically taken from elsewhere in the mouth, and stops the recession from progressing at that site.

The Outcome

Sensitivity resolves as the root is covered again, and the tooth is protected from further recession going forward.