A periodontist is a dentist that specializes in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions involving the gum and bone that support your teeth. In other words, we specialize in making sure you have a strong foundation for your smile. Sometimes teeth can’t be saved, or you already may be missing teeth, and in those cases we can help restore that foundation using dental implants.

Everyone can benefit from seeing a periodontist. Seventy percent of Canadians will have gum disease at some point in their lives. Our job is to help prevent gum disease from happening and to treat it if you already have it.

Another reason to see a periodontist is if you need to replace a missing tooth with a dental implant. Periodontists undergo extensive training placing dental implants.

Periodontists are also trained to carry out other procedures such as cosmetic gum surgery and tooth extraction.

After graduating from dental school, Dr. Gibson completed his Masters of Periodontics program at Dalhousie University in Halifax. His intensive three-year residency provided him with comprehensive training in the diagnosis and treatment of oral, periodontal, and peri-implant pathology, periodontal plastic surgery, dental implant surgery and a number of other periodontal and dental topics.

Some typical symptoms of gum disease include:
• Gums that bleed during brushing or flossing
• Swollen or “puffy gums”
• Halitosis or bad breath
• Gum recession where the roots of the teeth are exposed
• Loose teeth or teeth that shift position
• Widening or new gaps between teeth

What can be done to change a gummy smile? There are treatments to help reduce the amount of gum tissue that is shown when smiling/talking. We can also help to make teeth appear longer and with more typical proportions. During your consult, we will review possible treatments such as:  

• Removal of excess gum tissue
• Jaw surgery
• Botox injections
• Orthodontic treatment (braces)
• OR a combination of treatments

Bleeding gums during brushing or flossing can be a sign of gum disease. Other typical symptoms of gum disease include:

• Swollen or “puffy” gums
• Halitosis or bad breath
• Gum recession where the roots of the teeth are exposed
• Loose teeth or teeth that shift position
• Widening or new gaps between teeth

If you think you have one more more of these symptoms, please contact us to book an exam. It’s never too early or too late to have your gum health checked.