Soft Tissue Aesthetics

A Gentle, High-Tech Touch To Rejuvenate Soft Tissue

Although gum tissue is often overshadowed by your show-stealing pearly whites, gums are truly the unsung hero of your mouth. Gingival (gum) tissue surrounds and protects your teeth and underlying bone. When gums are firmly attached to your teeth, they form a seal and provide a barrier against infection. Excessive gum tissue (gummy smile) can make you feel embarrassed to smile and negatively impact your quality of life. Too little gum tissue (gum recession) can limit essential oral function and jeopardize your oral health.

At Dr. Patty’s Dental Boutique & Spa, we offer customized soft tissue periodontal treatments using minimally invasive laser technology, including gingivectomy and crown lengthening in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Our innovative treatment methods gently rebalance and restore your dental health and smile esthetics so you can live a functional and healthy life!

Signs Of Gum Tissue Problems

• Receding gums
• Sensitive Teeth
• Gummy smiles
• Loose or shifting teeth
• Chronic bad breath (halitosis)
• Large gap between two front teeth
• Speech, swallowing or nursing problems

Personalized Soft Tissue Treatments

Laser Dentistry

At Dr. Patty’s Dental Boutique & Spa, we use the sophisticated LANAP PerioLase MVP-7™ laser and innovative Dentsply Sirona diode laser technology. Lasers provide a minimally invasive approach for gingivectomy, frenectomy, crown lengthening/gum recontouring and several other procedures. Laser therapy is especially beneficial to patients with dental anxiety, as well as young children and special needs patients who would otherwise require general anesthesia. Most patients who receive laser dentistry experience reduced postoperative pain, gingival swelling and discomfort.

LANAP

Since LANAP received FDA approval in 2004, it has revolutionized the treatment of gum disease. Today, it is still the only FDA-approved laser gum disease treatment proven to promote gum tissue regeneration. The laser selectively vaporizes inflamed and diseased tissue beneath the gum line inside periodontal pockets without damaging healthy tissue. Additionally, this advanced technology targets and kills the bacteria responsible for gum disease and helps facilitate healthy reattachment of supporting tissues to the surface of the tooth root.

LAPIP™

Although dental implants have a success rate as high as 98%, a progressive inflammatory condition called peri-implantitis can cause them to fail. At Dr. Patty’s Dental Boutique & Spa, we offer LAPIP, which stands for Laser Assisted Peri-Implantitis Procedure. LAPIP is a modification of the minimally-invasive LANAP protocol. During this procedure, Dr. Patty uses the PerioLase MVP-7 laser to vaporize bacteria, diseased tissue, pathologic proteins and titanium post contaminants in soft tissue. Then she removes surface growth with ultrasonic scaler tips and may make modifications to your bone and bite. The laser effectively creates a secure enclosure to protect the area from infection and enables the dental implant to reintegrate with your jawbone.

Crown Lengthening

If you are too embarrassed to smile due to excessive gum tissue, crown lengthening (also known as gum recontouring) is a gentle method to improve your smile esthetics without the need for incisions or sutures. During this procedure, Dr. Patty reshapes your gums with a laser to expose more tooth surface. In some cases, she may also need to remove a minimal amount of bone. Crown lengthening is done for functional reasons to uncover adequate tooth structure above the gum line to support a crown or other restoration.

Gingivectomy

Using the laser, Dr. Patty carefully sculpts and removes small amounts of gum tissue. As a cosmetic procedure, excess gum tissue is removed to resolve gummy smiles. This can also be done to improve an uneven gum line after receiving a restoration. For advanced gum disease, infected gum tissue is removed to prevent it from spreading and enable healing.

Gingival Grafting

Gums that have receded or pulled away from your teeth can lead to the sensitive tooth roots being partially exposed to harmful bacteria. Other problems related to gum recession include discomfort, sensitivity, tooth discoloration and an increased risk of tooth decay, infection and loss. Laser-assisted gum grafting results in less impact to treated areas and minimizes postoperative discomfort with little to no blood loss.

Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique™ (PST™)

Do you snore at night? Do you wake most The team at Dr. Patty’s Dental Boutique & Spa has been personally trained by Dr. John Chao and is certified to perform PST for gum recession. PST is a gentler alternative to soft tissue grafts to rebuild your gum line and prevent further oral health problems. This innovative, minimally invasive technique rejuvenates gums without the need for incisions, sutures or an extended recovery period.

During this procedure, a needle is used to make a tiny hole in the affected gum tissue. Through this small pinhole, we use a specialized instrument designed by Dr. Chao to gently loosen, expand and position the gum tissue to cover exposed tooth roots. Tiny collagen strips are placed during this process to stabilize your gums. Clients treated with PST at our practice have reported minimal pain and a smooth recovery period. with a headache and feel fatigued even after sleeping through the night? You may have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Night guards or custom oral appliances can open your airway and help you get the restful sleep you, and your partner, need!

Frenectomy

If you’re grinding or clenching your teeth, have worn-down teeth, or frequently experience jaw pain you may have temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. This can occur for a number of reasons from malocclusion (bad bite), unhealthy oral habits, as well as jaw joint problems. An occlusal adjustment or custom mouthguard may be all you need to restore proper balance, relieve your pain, and maintain your oral health.

In the upper arch, the labial frenum is the tissue that connects your gums to the lip. In the lower mouth, the lingual frenum is located between the base of the tongue and floor of your mouth. Traditional frenectomies require removing the frenum surgically and suturing the site, often resulting in considerable postoperative discomfort. With laser therapy, the frenal attachments are gently ablated and the surgical site is cauterized to prevent bleeding.

Removing excess frenum from the upper gums prevents gaps in the front teeth and associated orthodontic problems. In the lower mouth, loosening tight frenum tissue under the tongue enhances mobility and prevents speech problems. While we commonly perform this procedure in pediatric patients, frenectomies in adults are sometimes done to improve overall oral health and smiles.