What Is It?
Gingival flap surgery is a procedure in which the gums are separated from the teeth and folded back temporarily to allow a dentist to reach the root of the tooth and the bone.
What It’s Used For
Gingival flap surgery is used to treat gum disease (periodontitis). It may be recommended for people with moderate [...]

What Is It?Your teeth are held in place by roots that extend into your jawbone. Front teeth usually have one root. Other teeth, such as your premolars and molars, have two or more roots. The tip or end of each root is called the apex. Nerves and blood vessels enter the tooth through the apex. [...]

Introduction
Early-stage periodontal disease (gingivitis) is seldom painful and causes relatively minor signs, such as red, swollen and bleeding gums. But untreated gingivitis can progress to periodontitis, a serious infection that destroys the soft tissue and bone that support your teeth, and eventually may cause tooth loss.
What’s more, long-term periodontitis can lead to even [...]

What Is Periodontal Disease?
If your hands bled when you washed them, you would be concerned. Yet, many people think it’s normal if their gums bleed when they brush or floss. In a 1999 study, researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that half of Americans over 30 had bleeding gums.
Swollen and bleeding [...]

What Is It?
People with gingivitis have inflamed gum tissue around their teeth, caused by bacteria found in dental plaque. Normal, healthy gums should be firmly attached to the teeth and underlying bone. They are pale pink in light-skinned people and brown, gray or mottled in people with darker complexions. [...]

What is Gingivitis?
Gingivitis — an inflammation of the gums — is the initial stage of gum disease and the easiest to treat. The direct cause of gingivitis is plaque – the soft, sticky, colorless film of bacteria that forms constantly on the teeth and gums.
If the plaque is not removed by daily brushing and flossing, [...]

More than 75 percent of Americans over 35 have some form of gum disease. In its earliest stage, your gums might swell and bleed easily. At its worst, you might lose your teeth. The bottom line? If you want to keep your teeth, you must take care of your gums.
The mouth is a busy place, [...]

What Is It?
Debridement is the removal of excessive amounts of plaque and tartar from your teeth.
What It’s Used For
Debridement is done on people who have heavy plaque and tartar (calculus) build-up, usually because they haven’t visited a dentist in several years. The plaque and tartar accumulation on the teeth is so heavy [...]

What is Plaque?
Plaque is a sticky, colorless film of bacteria and sugars that constantly forms on our teeth. It is the main cause of cavities and gum disease, and can harden into tartar if not removed daily.
How Do I Know if I Have Plaque?
Everyone develops plaque because bacteria are constantly forming in our mouths. These [...]

To find tooth decay early, some dentists are using newer technologies, in addition to visual exams and X-rays. The devices claim to be able to detect the beginnings of decay, when the tooth begins to soften, before it turns into a cavity.
As with almost any new technology, the devices are expensive. Are they worth it? [...]