Seacoast Periodontics and Dental Implants

09/01/2026

Our patient had recession and a thin soft tissue biotype in his esthetic zone. We performed connective tissue grafting with the tunneling technique to augment the gingiva and completely cover the exposed roots. In addition to improving the appearance of his smile, the thicker, more robust gingiva post-grafting prevents relapse of the recession. Surgical success is a team effort. Our patient was diligent with his post-operative instructions - taking antibiotics as prescribed and avoiding brushing, chewing or pulling his lip in the area of the graft for two weeks.

08/23/2026

Dr. Peter Attia posted an excellent article on gum recession today.

Gum recession is common, often silent, and sometimes worsened by the very habits meant to protect your teeth.

08/17/2026

We were gratified to have helped dozens of patients during our annual Helping Hands charity day on Friday. We extracted broken or infected teeth for people who were in pain and without resources to afford conventional dental treatment.

We are especially thankful for our super-efficient front desk team of Keri and Jennifer, for our event coordinator Luis, and for our miracle-worker surgical assistants Ashley and Emily, without whom the day would not have been possible.

Thanks to our community for supporting us.

08/10/2026

We're looking forward to this Friday! Please help spread the word.

07/28/2026

Our patient had severe resorption and ankylosis of her upper left central incisor, which had destroyed the entire palatal half of the root and prevented normal tooth eruption, leaving it shorter than the neighboring teeth. The process had also damaged her palatal bone. We removed the failing tooth and regenerated the lost bone with a bone graft. We could then place an implant and insert an immediate provisional crown. Her crown now matches the length of her other incisors and she is thrilled to have a more symmetric smile.

07/14/2026

Root coverage for molars is unpredictable due to the width of the recession and avascular root surface being twice that of a non-molar tooth. Fortunately for this patient we achieved nearly 100% root coverage and phenotype modification with a minimally invasive connective tissue graft. With a gentle toothbrushing technique, the graft will remain stable long-term. We recommend electric toothbrushes with pressure sensors and soft brush heads to minimize the risk of recession relapse after soft tissue grafting.

06/23/2026

Our annual Helping Hands Day will be Friday, August 14th starting at 8:00 a.m. We will offer free extractions to anyone who is in pain and cannot afford dental treatment. We remain deeply grateful to our community for more than a decade of support for our practice and we are eager to give back each year.

06/16/2026

We often see challenging cases of gingival recession where the remaining tissue is very thin and the papillae (triangles of tissue that fill between the teeth) are missing. In extreme examples, we can see the roots of teeth through the paper-thin mucosa since the normal supporting facial bone has been lost. These conditions make complete coverage of the roots impossible, and soft tissue grafting is used primarily to protect the underlying bone and prevent further recession. In this case, we performed a connective tissue graft with the tunneling technique, which dramatically increased the thickness and resilience of the gingiva over her incisors. We were fortunate to partially cover her roots, which was an added bonus. We now expect to preserve this young patient's soft tissue, bone and teeth long-term.

06/02/2026

Our last Seacoast Dental Study Club meeting before summer break went out with a bang! Thank you to Brandon Dickerman, CDT for a fantastic presentation on Multi-Implant Treatment Planning and Prosthetics. Thanks also to all of the restorative doctors who have attended and presented cases in our study group this year. We will be looking forward to resuming our dental and hygiene education series in the fall!

05/26/2026

Our patient returned for her second connective tissue graft after a positive experience with her first grafting procedure with us. This time, we grafted her lower premolars utilizing the minimally invasive tunneling technique and achieved complete coverage of the exposed roots along with phenotype modification. Conversion of the gingival phenotype from thin to thick is the most important biologic outcome for any soft tissue grafting technique for preventing progression of recession. This patient always heals well because she adheres to post-operative instructions and takes medications as directed. Once we do our part to educate and execute a rigorous, clean surgery, the rest is in the hands of Mother Nature and the patient.