Online Dental Education Library
Our team of dental specialists and staff strive to improve the overall health of our patients by focusing on preventing, diagnosing and treating conditions associated with your teeth and gums. Please use our dental library to learn more about dental problems and treatments available. If you have questions or need to schedule an appointment, contact us.
Bridge
Bridge vs Implant
Bruxism
Caring for Dental Implant
Caring for Implant Supported Bridge
Caring for Traditional Bridge
Causes of Tooth Pain
Composite Filling (Posterior)
Composite vs Amalgam Filling
Consequence of Bone Loss
Cracked Tooth
Debridement
Dental Erosion
Endodontic Abscess
Filling vs Crown
Gingivitis
Gingival Probing & Pocket Depth
Gingival Recession
Healthy Gums
Impacted 3rd Molars
Implant Supported Bridge
Manual vs Electric Toothbrush
Missing Teeth
Non-Carious Cervical Lesions
Occlusal Appliance for Tooth Wear
Oral Hygiene
Progression of Decay
Plaque and Calculus
Progression of Decay
Proper Brushing Techniques
Proper Flossing Techniques
Root Canal
Root Canal with Post-Core Buildup
Root Canal with Post Core Impression
Recurrent Decay Around Restoration
Scaling and Root Planing
Single Crown
Single Implant
Single Tooth Loss
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder
Tooth Wear
Trauma-Chipped Tooth
Understanding Tooth Wear
Veneers
Whitening with Bleaching Trays
What Does it Mean to Have Healthy Gums?
Why Do Teeth Crack?
What is Occlusion?
What is TMD?
Your bone and gum tissue should fit snugly around your teeth like a turtleneck. When you have periodontal disease, this supporting tissue and bone is destroyed, forming "pockets" around the teeth. Over time, these pockets become deeper, providing a larger space for bacteria to thrive and wreak havoc.
As bacteria accumulate and advance under the gum tissue in these deep pockets, additional bone and tissue loss follows. Eventually, if too much bone is lost, the teeth will need to be extracted.
Flap surgery is sometimes performed to remove tartar deposits in deep pockets or to reduce the periodontal pocket and make it easier for you or your dental professional to keep the area clean. This common surgery involves lifting back the gums and removing the tartar. The gums are then sutured back in place so that the tissue fits snugly around the tooth again.
A pocket reduction procedure is recommended if daily at-home oral hygiene and a professional care routine cannot effectively reach these deep pockets.
In some cases, irregular surfaces of the damaged bone are smoothed to limit areas where disease-causing bacteria can hide. This allows the gum tissue to better reattach to healthy bone.
