Reflect a Beautiful Smile

Long Teeth Gum recession can cause the tooth root to become exposed, and makes teeth look long. This can make you look older than you are. Recession can happen as a result of many causes, including periodontal diseases. Whatever the reason, exposed roots are unattractive and can leave you at risk of developing cavities on your tooth roots.

Soft tissue grafts and other root coverage procedures are designed to cover exposed roots, to reduce further gum recession and to protect vulnerable roots from decay.

Missing Teeth If you are missing teeth, dental implants might be your answer.

Dental implants are a natural looking option compared with dentures or bridges because implants look and feel just like your own teeth. Implants also allow you to speak and eat with comfort and confidence. During this procedure, an artificial tooth root is placed into your jaw, and after a healing period, an artificial tooth is attached to the root.

Indentations in the gums and jawbone Tooth loss can cause an indentation in the gums and jawbone where the tooth used to be. This happens because the jawbone recedes when it is no longer holding a tooth in place, this indentation is unnatural looking and can cause the replacement tooth to look longer than the adjacent teeth.

Ridge augmentation fills in the defect and recaptures the natural contour of the gums and jaw. A new tooth can then be created that is natural looking, easy to clean and beautiful.

For more information about periodontal plastic surgery, talk to your periodontist. To view before and after photos of periodontal plastic surgery, visit the AAP Web site at www. Perio.org.