Our team periodontist treats oral health problems that affect the structures that support the teeth. Gum disease, which ranges in severity from gingivitis to advanced periodontitis, places patients at risk of tooth loss, jawbone deterioration, and systemic health problems. Timely treatment by our periodontist, Dr. Alec Temlock, a board certified UCSF trained periodontist, can often reverse symptoms of gum disease and repair damaged tissues. To offer periodontal care, our San Francisco periodontics expert completed additional three years of training after dental school at the UCSF periodontics program.
Gum disease is initially characterized by red, swollen gums that may feel tender and bleed during brushing and flossing. As the disease progresses to full-blown periodontitis, teeth may begin to loosen and eventually fall out. Abscess, a sign of serious local infection, can also result. If pathogenic bacteria in the mouth escape through the damaged gums into the blood stream, they can cause infections throughout the body. In fact, cardiovascular disease and lung disease birth defects have been linked to periodontal disease. Untreated gum disease can also suppress the immune system, potentially opening the door to inflammation and illness. These issues highlight the importance of treatment from our San Francisco periodontist.
Periodontics San Francisco
Periodontal care includes several treatments and can vary depending on the symptoms and severity involved. To treat early gingivitis, our expert in periodontics in San Francisco may recommend the use of antimicrobial mouth rinses and scaling and root planing. During scaling and root planing, Dr. Amini or other CitiDent dentists use special instruments to remove plaque and tartar from the teeth above and below the gum line. When advanced periodontitis is present, our San Francisco dentists may recommend procedures such as gum flap surgery or tissue grafting. Gum flap surgery involves making incisions in the gums to better reach the bacterial populations there while tissue grafting is used to stimulate regeneration of bone and gum tissue that has already been damaged by the disease.
As periodontal problems become more common in the United States, the importance of specialized treatment is increasing. Periodontal disease is currently affecting up to 70% of the adult population in United States. Although even advanced periodontitis can usually be treated, time and costs involved are easier to bear when the disease is caught early. To learn more about periodontal care, patients can schedule a consultation with our periodontist in San Francisco, Dr. Alec Temlock.
Dr. Alec Temlock is also a specialist in dental implant placement and can offer you the most natural tooth replacement option offered today for patients. If you have a missing tooth and would like to stop the damaging effects of missing teeth, you can call us for a dental implant consultation with our dental implant specialist, Dr. Alec Temlock.
“At CitiDent our patients can enjoy the convenience of periodontal and dental implant specialty care in the same facility and under one roof. This allows for a better communication among our dentists and the treatment can be performed more efficiently and accurately.”
–Dr. Amini
