Periodontist in Yardley, PA
Healthy Gums, Strong Foundation
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When your gums start to bleed, pull away from your teeth, or feel persistently sore, it’s easy to dismiss those signs as minor irritations. The truth is, these are often early signals of periodontal disease, a condition that, left untreated, threatens not just your teeth but your overall health. Gum disease has been linked to cardiovascular issues, diabetes complications, and other systemic concerns, making timely treatment a matter of whole-body wellness, not just dental hygiene.
If you’ve been searching for a periodontist in Yardley, PA, Bucks County Smiles offers a level of periodontal care in Yardley that goes well beyond standard gum treatment. Our practice is built on the principles of integrative dental medicine, meaning we don’t just treat what we see in your mouth; we consider how your oral health connects to the rest of your body. With a nurse on staff and active coordination with patients’ primary care physicians and medical teams, we bring a uniquely comprehensive perspective to every appointment.
What a Periodontist Does
A periodontist is a dental specialist who focuses on the health of the tissues and structures that support your teeth, primarily the gums and the underlying bone. While your general dentist monitors your gum health during routine visits, a periodontist provides advanced diagnosis and treatment when disease progresses or when specialized care is needed.
Periodontal care addresses a wide spectrum of concerns. You may need to see a periodontist if you experience chronic gum inflammation, significant bone loss around your teeth, gum recession, or deep pockets forming between your gums and teeth. At Bucks County Smiles, periodontic services are integrated into a full-spectrum practice, which means you don’t need to be referred elsewhere to receive the advanced care your gums require.
Signs You May Need Periodontal Treatment
Understanding when to seek periodontal attention is an important first step. You should consider scheduling a comprehensive exam if you notice any of the following:
- Gums that bleed consistently when you brush or floss
- Gum tissue that appears red, swollen, or tender
- Teeth that feel loose or have shifted in position
- Persistent bad breath that doesn't improve with brushing
- Visible gum recession or teeth that look longer than they used to
These symptoms can indicate various stages of periodontal disease, ranging from early gingivitis to more advanced periodontitis. Our team will thoroughly evaluate your gum health and develop a treatment plan tailored to your stage in the process.
Periodontal Services We Offer at Bucks County Smiles
Bucks County Smiles provides a comprehensive range of periodontal treatments designed to stop disease progression, restore gum health, and protect your smile for the long term. Our approach centers on using the most effective, minimally invasive options available.
Scaling and Root Planing
Scaling and root planing is the core of non-surgical periodontal therapy. This deep cleaning procedure goes well below the gumline to remove hardened tartar and bacterial deposits from tooth surfaces and root areas. Once the roots are thoroughly cleaned and smoothed, it becomes significantly more difficult for bacteria to reattach and cause ongoing damage. Many patients see meaningful improvement in gum health following scaling and root planing. For those in the earlier stages of periodontal disease, it is often the most appropriate starting point for treatment.
LANAP Laser Gum Surgery
For patients with more advanced periodontal disease, LANAP laser gum surgery offers a highly effective alternative to traditional surgical methods. LANAP, the Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure, uses a specialized laser to precisely eliminate infected tissue and harmful bacteria without incisions, sutures, or the extended recovery typically associated with conventional gum surgery.
Published research in the NIH National Library of Medicine confirms that LANAP demonstrated superior reductions in periodontal pocket depth and bacterial load compared to scaling and root planing alone, with patients experiencing measurably better clinical outcomes. At Bucks County Smiles, Dr. Aimee Dehbozorgi performs this procedure with precision, helping patients heal faster and more comfortably.
Perio Protect Trays
Perio Protect Trays extend treatment into your daily routine by delivering prescription-strength medication deep into periodontal pockets through a custom-fitted tray with a patented sealing system, reaching areas that a toothbrush, floss, or rinse simply cannot. Perio Trays are the only customized periodontal medicament carriers with FDA clearance.
Treatment takes just minutes a day at home, making it a practical and sustainable part of a comprehensive periodontal care plan. For patients managing active gum disease or working to maintain the results of in-office treatment, Perio Protect Trays offer a way to stay ahead of the disease between appointments.
Gum Grafting
When gum recession has exposed a significant portion of your tooth roots, gum grafting can restore the protective tissue your teeth need. This procedure involves placing soft tissue, either from your own palate or from a donor source, over areas where gum coverage has been lost. The result is improved protection against sensitivity, decay, and further recession, along with a more balanced and natural-looking gumline. For many patients, gum grafting is a pivotal step in stopping the cycle of gum loss and restoring long-term stability to their smile.
Pinhole Surgical Technique
Gum recession doesn’t always require a graft. The Pinhole Surgical Technique is a minimally invasive approach to restoring receding gum tissue without cutting or stitching. Using a small entry point, Dr. Faust gently repositions existing gum tissue to cover exposed root surfaces, often treating multiple teeth in a single appointment. For patients who have been putting off gum recession treatment due to concerns about recovery time, this procedure offers an approachable, effective solution.
Crown Lengthening
Crown lengthening is a surgical procedure that removes excess gum tissue and, when necessary, underlying bone to expose more of the natural tooth structure. It is commonly performed when a tooth needs a crown but lacks sufficient exposed surface for the crown to fit properly. Crown lengthening is also used cosmetically to address a gummy smile by creating a more proportionate balance between gum tissue and tooth length. The result is a foundation that supports both functional dental work and a more aesthetically pleasing smile.
Guided Tissue Regeneration
When periodontal disease has caused bone and tissue loss around the teeth, guided tissue regeneration can encourage your body to rebuild what was lost. This procedure uses a specialized barrier membrane to direct the regrowth of bone and gum tissue, preventing faster-growing cells from filling in the space before the slower, more complex regenerative tissue has a chance to develop. It is often used alongside other periodontal treatments to maximize the recovery of tooth-supporting structures and improve long-term outcomes for patients with significant bone involvement.
Oral Cancer Screenings
Comprehensive periodontal care at Bucks County Smiles extends to oral cancer screenings and oral pathology exams. Early detection is critical for oral cancer, and our team uses a range of diagnostic tools, including salivary testing to identify bacterial changes and systemic risk markers, and provide a complete picture of your oral and overall health. Oral cancer awareness is also central to our values as a practice; it is the charitable cause our team actively supports this year.
A Practice That Connects Your Dental and Medical Care
What sets Bucks County Smiles apart isn’t just the range of services we offer; it’s the way we think about your care. As a practice built on integrative dental medicine, we understand that your mouth does not exist in isolation. More than half of our patients are over 50 and managing complex medical histories, and our team is specifically experienced in working alongside that population. We have a nurse on staff and regularly communicate with your primary care physicians and specialists to ensure your dental treatment aligns with your broader health goals.
Dr. David Faust has been practicing with a commitment to whole-health dental care since 1988, bringing decades of experience to both restorative and periodontal treatments. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, he and our team approach gum disease with the same precision and thoughtfulness that defines everything we do at Bucks County Smiles.
Schedule Your Periodontal Exam at Bucks County Smiles
Your gum health is too important to leave untreated. Whether you’re dealing with the first signs of gingivitis, experiencing significant recession, or living with a gum disease diagnosis that hasn’t been properly managed, our team at Bucks County Smiles is here to help you find a path forward.
We welcome patients from Yardley, Newtown, Lower Makefield Township, and communities throughout Bucks County and beyond. To get started, reach out to our team and schedule your comprehensive exam with one of our experienced periodontists today.
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