Sinus Lift (Augmentation)

If you lose posterior teeth, it causes an increase in force to be placed on your remaining teeth, which can affect both your bite and oral health. This is why replacing extracted teeth is so important. Dental implants provide a long-lasting solution to filling gaps in patients’ smiles, but sometimes there is not enough room in the upper jaw for dental implants to be placed. This can be because of the position of the sinus or because of bone loss.

A sinus lift or augmentation, allows the sinus floor to be repositioned and bone added so that there is enough space for the implant to be inserted. For this procedure, Dr. Michael Corsello uses a variety of grafting materials to encourage bone to grow more quickly into the area and help stabilize the dental implant.

The bone used in a sinus lift may come from your own body (autogenous bone), a donor (allogeneic bone) or from cow bone (xenograft). During the procedure, the doctor will cut the gum tissue where the missing back teeth used to be in order to expose the bone. Then he will open a small oval window to the bone to gain access to where the sinus meets the jaw. The sinus is pushed up and away from the jaw, and granules of bone-graft material are then packed into the space where the sinus was, adding several millimeters of bone to the jaw.

Once the bone is in place, the tissue is closed with stitches and left to heal. Implants are usually installed four to nine months later while the grafted material meshes with your bone.

To schedule an appointment with our office, call 412-453-5344. For more information on Northland Dental Medicine in Pittsburgh, PA, visit www.NorthlandDentalMedicine.com. 

Scaling and Root Planing

At Northland Dental Medicine in Pittsburgh, PA, we strive to help our patients maintain optimal oral health and retain their original teeth. By offering scaling and root planing to treat early gum disease, Dr. Michael Corsello can restore your health and save your smile in a noninvasive way.

Periodontal disease is responsible for 75 percent of all adult tooth loss cases in the United States, making it critical to check for and treat periodontal issues when they first arise. An infection of the gums, periodontal disease starts when a buildup of plaque on your teeth hardens into tartar and creates a suitable environment for bacteria to collect and attack the surrounding gums. In its early stages, this gum disease is gingivitis, but if it is left untreated, it becomes periodontis, and periodontis can destroy your gum tissue, lead to tooth loss and even result in a loss of bone mass in your jawbone. Heart disease, diabetes and stroke have also been linked to poor periodontal health.

Scaling and root planing is one of the most effective ways to treat gum disease before it develops into more serious periodontal disease. The procedure allows the dentist to clean between your gums and teeth all the way down to the roots in order to smooth the root structure and remove the tartar that is causing your inflammation.

The procedure is an incredibly effective and can stop the progression of gum disease before it irreversibly damages your teeth. If you’ve been diagnosed with gum disease or you have red, swollen or bleeding gums, schedule an appointment with our office by calling 412-453-5344. For more information, visit www.NorthlandDentalMedicine.com.

Frenectomy

A frenulum is a small fold or ridge of tissue that either supports or prevents the motion of that to which it is attached. In the mouth, there are two frenulums: the one that connects the upper lip to the gums above your two front teeth and the one that connects the tongue to the base of your mouth. If a frenulum is too short or thick, it can cause speech impediments and gaps between teeth, so corrective action is necessary to resolve the situation.

At Northland Dental Medicine in Pittsburgh, Dr. Michael Corsello performs frenectomies to resolve frenulums that have proved troublesome. A frenectomy is a safe and effective surgical procedure to remove this fold of skin. Frenectomies are performed with either a scalpel or a laser, but at our office we use a laser, which causes very little bleeding and doesn’t require stitches. The laser is also preferable to the scalpel method because there is less discomfort and healing time after the procedure. If performed on a young child, a conscious anesthesia is used to relax and numb the child, while adults usually receive just a local anesthesia to numb the area while the fold is removed. A typical frenectomy takes less than 15 minutes.

If your frenulum is causing problems for your smile, schedule an appointment with our office by calling 412-453-5344. For more information, visit www.NorthlandDentalMedicine.com.