Many of the procedures involving the gum and bone can be considered plastic surgery. Perio plastic surgery can improve many different situations such as:
- Gummy smiles - when an abnormal amount of gum tissue appears when someone smiles. This is usually corrected with crown lengthening.
- Uneven gum tissue height - this is usually corrected with crown lengthening.
- Missing teeth - this can be corrected with fixed brides or with implants.
- Defects in the bone - when tooth loss occurs there is typically a loss of the bone that used to surround the previous tooth. The resulting defect can be treated to make it look like the bone had never been lost. This treatment is known as ridge augmentation.
- Combination therapy - when just the periodontal procedure is not sufficient, restorative procedures are needed to obtain the proper alignment, shape, and color of the teeth.
Please see the Periodontal Gallery for the types of treatment that can be accomplished with periodontal plastic surgery.
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