Q&A
Can You Do Dental Procedures Without Hurting Me?
It’s an outdated misconception to think, “To get better, I’m going to have to be in pain.” And it unnecessarily keeps many people out of the dentist’s office. We are in 2023, and we can offer many modalities to avoid pain in the office completely. This includes laughing gas, oral sedation, and even having an anesthesiologist come in. I tell people I will not work on them if it causes pain. I will tell people they will go home and be sore for a few days. That’s a reality. But at Stonebridge Dental and PebblePath Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, that is not the case in the office. To learn more about our patient-centric approach to dentistry, visit StonebridgeDental.com and PebblePathDDS.com.
What Does A Periodontist Specialize In?
We focus on the gums and replacing missing teeth. In the last 15 or 20 years, dental implants have become the gold standard to replace missing teeth. Therefore, that’s a big part of what we do, along with treating gum issues and gum disease. At our office, we offer everything that dentistry provides.
Do Periodontists Also Work With Children?
I see young patients who have been referred to me by PebblePath for different gum issues. For example, many younger patients are born with crowding in their jaws and have teeth that aren’t erupting from the gum line. As a periodontist, we can help a tooth erupt, which helps the orthodontist ensure everything can be properly aligned.
Can I Afford What I Need?
We offer options to fit what the patient is looking for. At one point in your life, you may think, “I just need to get by.” But at another point in your life, you might say, “I want the best money can offer.” So, in that way, dentistry isn’t a one-way street with one option. Please realize that we don’t have to solve everything today, this month, or this year. Let’s work on what’s most important right now, and we can chip away at a longer list as we move along. I’ve found this helps people with affordability and personal budgets.
What Can You Do For A Gummy Smile?
Many women and men don’t feel confident with their smile because they have what I call a “gummy smile,” where not as much of their teeth are showing. Periodontists offer aesthetic crown lengthening, which increases the length of the tooth while reducing the amount of gum tissue above it. Does everyone need this? No. But it’s important for patients who want to see more teeth instead of gum when they smile. We can alter the gum tissue to give them that appearance when they smile, and I love seeing their faces change when they look in the mirror for the first time. It’s incredible how something fairly small can lead to a confidence change in someone.
About The Expert
Melissa Dean, DDS, MS, PA
Stonebridge Dental/PebblePath Pediatric Dentistry
Melissa Dean is a board certified periodontist and has been proudly serving patients of all ages in North Texas for nearly 20 years. She obtained her dental degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2002 before earning her master’s in periodontics in 2005 from the prestigious Baylor College of Dentistry.