Procedures for Children and Teens
Although most periodontal treatment is given to adults, there are circumstances when children and teens need certain periodontal procedures.
Children rarely need treatment for periodontal disease, but occasionally a young person will experience gum detachment and bone loss around their teeth and this needs to be addressed when detected. Children will also sometimes need gum grafting procedures or other soft tissue treatments to assist orthodontics or enhance their overall oral health.
Correcting the frenum
A frenum is a small fold of soft tissue that connects two parts of your mouth together and limits the motion of one of the connected parts. You can find a frenum on the inside of your upper lips and lower lips and on the underside of your tongue. Too large and strong a frenum under your tongue makes it hard to speak properly or chew food completely. Oversized frena inside the lips can pull at the gums closest to where the frena are attached and cause the gums to recede. Dr. Young uses a gentle laser to reduce the size of the frenum and bring it down to a suitable size and strength.
Tooth exposure for orthodontics
Certain teeth, such as canines, can sometimes fail to break through the gum line and expose themselves, or fail to reach their proper position in the dental arch. An orthodontist will need to have the crowns of these teeth exposed so brackets can be placed on the teeth and orthodontic correction can be done to bring them into their proper positions. Dr. Young gently removes the gum tissue covering the crowns of such teeth so the orthodontist can then place the brackets.
Gum grafting
Children and teens will occasionally have an area of receded gums as a result of orthodontic treatment or due to other causes. Receded gums expose the tooth roots and can endanger the long-term health of your child’s teeth. Dr. Young will gently restore a full, healthy gum line around these teeth with minimally invasive gum grafting procedures.
Periodontal Treatment
When a child shows symptoms of periodontal disease, Dr. Young will conduct a thorough exam to determine the extent of bacterial plaque accumulation and assess the levels of deterioration of gum and bone around the teeth. He will also check for signs of other health problems that may be contributing to the symptoms and indeed may be causing them.
