Periodontal Care in Brampton

A periodontist specializes in caring for the gums and bones in your jaw that support your teeth and keep them in place.

When you have a more complex issue with your gums or the bone beneath them, our dentists will refer you to our periodontist, Dr. David Leung.

Dr. Leung works right in our office so you don’t have to go somewhere else to get this treatment if you need it.

Dr. Leung possesses a background in periodontics, prosthodontics and orthodontics, and is also a clinical instructor at the University of Toronto. He has lectured at many dental schools and conferences throughout North America. He has a passion for helping others and restoring not only their dentition, but also their self-esteem.

Learn more about Dr. Leung and our dental team members.

We welcome new patients, too, who think they may have periodontal diseases or problems with receding gums or jaw bones.

Call 905-791-3867 or email us to book an appointment with Dr. David Leung in Brampton.

Periodontal disease

Bacteria and broken-down food particles cause plaque, something you’ve likely heard from us, or even on commercials for toothpaste.

Plaque starts out soft, even tacky. But when not cleaned or removed properly, plaque in some areas on the teeth and gums turns to tartar, a hard, almost stony substance.

Now, the remaining plaque and the newly formed tartar can cause inflammation. It may start as gingivitis—red, swollen and bleeding gums – but it can get more serious with time.

It can get to be periodontitis, which is what we call it when there’s actual loss of bone that anchors your teeth in your jaw. We don’t want to see that happen to you and can help you prevent it from happening.

Causes of periodontal disease

Part of prevention is in knowing how these problems start and evolve over time.

Poor dental hygiene (e.g. brushing, flossing teeth) is how it starts and how it’s allowed to get worse. But other things contribute to bad gum health:

• habits and behaviours (e.g. smoking)
• diseases (e.g. diabetes, HIV)
• some medications

Read a simple and clear overview of gum diseases from Health Canada.

Find out:

• what healthy gums should look and feel like
• the causes, symptoms, prevention and risks of gingivitis and periodontitis

Signs of periodontitis

But it’s important we highlight again the signs of gum disease you should watch out for, or may have noticed occurring already.

They include:

• blood on toothbrush or floss, or gums bleeding when brushing and flossing
• bad breath
• red and swollen gums (gingivitis)
• receding gums
• loose and/or shifted teeth

Consequences of gum diseases

You’ll likely feel unsatisfied with how your mouth, your smile, appears if you have gum disease.

There’s also discomfort and pain from receding gums because they expose the roots of your teeth to things like hot/cold temperature.

But the biggest consequence is the loss of teeth and the bone that supports them. This affects the way your teeth and jaw function, everything from chewing and enjoying food to smiling and talking.

Ways our periodontist will treat your gums

Our periodontist, Dr. David Leung, treats gum disease with various methods, depending, of course, on the seriousness of your case.

Treatments include:

Gum graft

Adding gum tissue from elsewhere in your mouth to the base of a tooth where gums have receded; the added tissue will then grow over the exposed roots on its own.

Ridge preservation

After a tooth is lost or extracted due to infection or inflammation, the space in the gum and bone left by the tooth may heal over and fill in the area on its own. If it doesn’t, natural bone particles, or minerals, may be added to trigger healing.

 Contact us to see our periodontist

Call 905-791-3867 or email us to book an appointment with Dr. David Leung in Brampton.