A beautiful smile starts with healthy, well-contoured gums. Dr. Cherry offers cosmetic periodontal procedures that enhance the appearance of your smile while improving gum health. From gum grafting to gingival sculpting, each treatment is designed to deliver natural-looking, lasting results.
Oral and Gingival Biopsy
Not every change in the mouth explains itself. A sore that will not heal, a white or red patch on the gum, an unexplained lump, or tissue that simply looks different from the gum around it can all have ordinary causes. Occasionally they do not. A biopsy is how we find out instead of guessing.
The procedure itself is a small one. Dr. Cherry numbs the area with a local anesthetic, removes a sample of tissue, and sends it to an oral pathology laboratory to be examined under a microscope. It is done here in the office, usually in a single visit, and the site is sometimes closed with a few dissolving stitches. Any soreness afterwards is normally mild and settles within a day or two.
We tend to suggest one when gum swelling or bleeding has not responded to treatment, when a lesion has no clear cause, or when a patch of tissue has been there longer than two weeks. A history of tobacco use lowers that threshold. Soft tissue in the mouth, head and neck is checked as part of a routine periodontal examination, which is often how these areas get noticed in the first place.
The laboratory report usually gives a definite answer. We go through it with you, explain what it means in plain terms, and tell you what needs to happen next, which in many cases is nothing at all.
Other Procedures We Perform
Crown lengthening reshapes gum tissue, and sometimes a small amount of the bone underneath, to expose more of a natural tooth. It is needed when a tooth has broken near the gum line and too little structure is left for a crown to grip. It is also used when a smile shows more gum than the patient would like.
Gingival contouring is the cosmetic side of the same idea, reshaping an uneven or heavy gum line without altering the bone. Gum grafting works in the opposite direction, rebuilding tissue where the gum has pulled back and left root surface exposed.
We also handle accelerated orthodontics, where a periodontal procedure runs alongside braces or aligners to shorten treatment time, and laser treatment for patients better suited to a less invasive approach. Once active treatment is finished, periodontal cleanings on a three to four month schedule are what keep the result stable.
Related Reading
- all of our services. The full list of what we treat.
- The Hidden Costs of Untreated Gum Disease (Beyond Your Mouth). What untreated gum disease costs.