BC Perio Dental Treatment

Gingivectomy
Sometimes the oral gum tissue can be very thick, or cover too much of the teeth, resulting in “short” teeth or a “gummy” smile. This can be caused by medications, inflammation due to gum disease, or when bone extends too close to the surface of a tooth. A gingivectomy procedure can be utilized to alleviate these issues, eliminating excess gum tissue and resulting in proper amounts of tooth structure being covered by tissues.

Gingivectomy procedures can be used as a cosmetic periodontal surgery to make teeth look ideal in size and shape when too much tissues is covering your healthy teeth, and can also be used to remove excess tissue that has grown as a reaction to certain medications (anti-seizure, organ-transplant, or certain high blood pressure drugs) that are being taken. In addition, it can also be used to remove inflamed/infected tissue around periodontally-involved teeth.

Frenectomy
A frenum is a naturally-occurring muscle attachment that is present between your lip and gum tissue. It is most prominent between upper and lower front teeth. Although frenum attachments are part of normal anatomy, they can often cause other issues in your mouth. If a frenum attachment is too strong it can cause tooth recession resulting in the need for a gum grafting procedure. However, if the frenum is not corrected, this recession will occur again. A frenum attachment can also be so large and strong that it can prevent teeth from coming together resulting in a gap between the front teeth. This can be an aesthetic concern and can also be an issue during orthodontic treatment.

A frenectomy is a procedure in which the frenum is surgically released from the gum, removing the excess tension that is present in the muscle attachment. A frenectomy may be done with or without gum grafting. It is very important that one of our doctors be consulted when orthodontic treatment is planned, as the removal of an irregular frenum can significantly improve the success and stability of your orthodontic treatment.

Please contact us for more information or to book a consult at our Vancouver or Coquitlam Offices.

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