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

Some cases of acute periodontal (gum) disease that do not respond to more conventional treatment and self-care such as flossing may require a special kind of cleaning called scaling and root planing. The procedure begins with administration of a local anesthetic to reduce any discomfort. Then, a small

Soft tissue grafts are sometimes performed to treat gum disease, or correct other abnormalities. The procedure involves taking gum tissue from the palate or another donor source to cover an exposed root in order to even the gum line and reduce sensitivity. Periodontal procedures are available to stop

When you lose one or more teeth, a small indention in your gums and jawbone will form where the tooth used to be. This happens because the jawbone recedes when it no longer is holding a tooth in place. This indentation can sometimes cause a replacement tooth to look too long compared to the adjacent

Osseous (meaning "bone") surgery involves removing and/or reshaping the jawbone under the gum. Such a procedure is called for not because of gum disease per se, but because of most of the damage that occurs in the underlying bone. Actually, gum disease and its attendant infection that spreads below the