Treatment Options

Taking care of your gums is an important part of your overall oral health care regimen. If you have gum disease that needs more advanced treatment, visit Bay City periodontal office, Mid-Michigan Periodontics & Dental Implants. Dr. Picard and his team will help you get your gums back to health and give you a beautiful smile.

Scaling & Root Planing

The initial stage of periodontal care is scaling and root planing, or a deep cleaning. Scaling involves deep cleaning of plaque and tartar deposits that are sitting below the gum line. Root planing smooths the roots' surfaces to allow the inflamed gum tissue to heal and reattach to the tooth. Bay City, MI periodontist Dr. Picard will begin your treatment with this deep cleaning prior to beginning any more advanced periodontal treatments.

Periodontal Surgery

If you have advanced periodontal disease, surgery may be the best treatment option to restore your gums to health. To treat advanced gum disease, the gum tissue is loosened from the affected area(s), and bacteria deposits are removed from deep beneath the gums. If bone loss is present, sometimes a bone graft will be performed to prevent additional bone loss. Gums are secured with small stitches that will dissolve in a few days. Dr. Picard is a trained periodontist in Bay City who can help you reclaim the health of your smile!

If left untreated, gum disease can cause bleeding, pain, sensitivity, bone loss, and even tooth loss. Advanced periodontal surgery can help improve your mouth’s health and preserve your natural teeth. No matter what stage of gum disease you have, we can help!

Soft Tissue Laser Surgery

Soft tissue laser surgery is an alternative way to treat periodontal disease, as well as perform other soft tissue procedures. We use the dental diode laser to safely and effectively target damaged gum tissue while keeping the surrounding tissue safe. This method eliminates bleeding and replaces the need for stitches and sutures. It also reduces patient discomfort and speeds up the healing process.

Dental Implants

Dental implants can restore your smile to its former glory if you’re missing teeth or struggling with uncomfortable dentures. Learn more about dental implants in Bay City.

All-On-4® Dental Implants

If you are missing all of the teeth in either your top or bottom jaw, we can replace them with just four dental implants rather than you having to get an individual implant for each missing tooth or dentures. All-On-4 dental implants are a more permanent tooth-replacement option, and they function like natural teeth. Many times, they are more affordable than traditional dental implants and offer a shorter recovery time.

Gum Disease Treatment with Arestin^®

If you have, or are at risk of developing, gum disease, periodontist in Bay City, MI, Dr. Picard, may prescribe Arestin^®, a local antibiotic powder that can stop the infection in its tracks. First, we will perform a deep cleaning to ensure the area is properly prepped for treatment. Then, Arestin will be applied to the space between your teeth and gum tissue (the “perio-pocket”). Arestin stays in place for up to three weeks. Once treatment is complete, your gum infection will have cleared to a level that routine dental cleanings can manage and maintain.

Gingival (Gum) Grafts

If your gums are receding, Bay City periodontist Dr. Picard can perform gingival grafting to restore the appearance of your smile. Receding gums can be caused by periodontal disease, among other reasons, and they often leave your teeth exposed and more susceptible to sensitivity and decay. Gingival grafts not only restore your gums, they can also prevent additional recession and bone loss in the area. If Dr. Picard determines that a gingival graft is the best treatment for you, he will explain the procedure, and address any questions or concerns you have.

Extractions

We do everything we can to help you keep your natural teeth. However, some teeth need to be extracted due to infection, damage, and other dental trauma. If a tooth needs to be extracted, Dr. Picard will walk you through the entire procedure, and you will be kept comfortable with our sedation options.

Bone Grafts

Prior to placing dental implants, bone grafts are sometimes necessary to provide extra strength to the surrounding bone. If you’ve had a missing tooth for a while, or if you have severe gum disease, the bone around the affected area will likely have been weakened. A bone graft not only adds strength to the affected area to allow the implant to be a more solid anchor, but it also stimulates new bone growth so your future implant and restoration will continue to be strong.

Bone grafts are often also performed immediately following an extraction to ensure that your facial and jawbone structures remain intact, bone support of your remaining teeth isn’t compromised, and gum recession doesn’t occur. Your Bay City periodontist and the team at Mid-Michigan Periodontics & Dental Implants will walk you through the procedure and answer any questions you might have.

Additionally, bone grafts may be used to attempt to regenerate any bone that has been loss due to periodontal disease. It is the goal to fill in missing bone and create a healthy bony architecture and support for your previously diseased teeth.