Dr. Perry A. Wasserlauf and Dr. Wanda Lanzone Hannigan specialize in periodontics and dental implant surgery. Periodontal services include emergency treatment, comprehensive examinations, second opinions, non-surgical treatment of gum infections, and the full range of periodontal surgical services. These surgical services include bone graft procedures, regeneration procedures, esthetic crown lengthening, functional crown lengthening, osseous (bone) surgery, and ridge augmentation procedures. Our office also provides dental hygiene periodontal maintenance services.

Periodontists specialize in working around and under the gum areas of the patients mouth. Healthy gums are critical to overall oral hygiene and health.

“>Bone Grafting

The replacement or enhancement of bone around teeth. When a tooth is lost, the surrounding bone collapses. Bone grafting is performed to reverse bone loss or enhance bone. The bone can be taken from parts of the body or from synthetic material. Bone grafting allows for proper support of dental implants or prostheses.

Osseous Surgery (aka Pocket Depth Reduction)

A surgical procedure used to smooth and reshape affected bone under the gum tissue. This procedure is performed when a pocket around a tooth (or teeth) has not responded to other treatments. It creates a shallow pocket making it difficult for bacteria to survive and damage bone, resulting in bone loss and ultimately, tooth loss.

Bone Regeneration

A periodontal surgical procedure that regenerates jaw bone and surrounding tissue. This procedure is often performed to protect your existing teeth and the tissues that keep them in place from bacterial plaque. The gingival tissue is folded back to remove the disease-causing bacteria. Membranes, bone grafts or tissue-stimulating proteins can be used to encourage the body’s natural ability to regenerate bone and tissue.

Ridge Preservation

Involves placing a regenerative bone grafting material into empty tooth sockets to rebuild bone where an extraction has left an empty, weakened area. This process encourages your body’s natural capacity to regenerate bone.

Scaling and Root Planing

Is a non-surgical procedure used to treat gum disease. During the scaling process, specialized dental instruments are used to remove dental plaque and calculus from beneath the gums. Planing is the procedure used to smooth the tooth’s root after the scaling process. Root planing helps the gums heal and reattach themselves to a cleaner and smoother root surface.