Periodontal cosmetic surgery at Farber Center on Long Island can remove excess gum tissue and reshape the gum line. The procedure is often fast and easy.

Am I a Candidate for Periodontal Cosmetic Surgery?

For some people, as their teeth grow into their mouth, excess gum tissue grows along with the teeth. In other words, not everyone has a gum line that stabilizes when it should. For some teenage and adult patients, it looks as if they still have baby teeth because they have excess gum tissue covering their adult teeth. In this case, a cosmetic periodontal procedure is one where we reshape the gum line to expose the full adult tooth to give the patient a much more natural and even gum line. Sometimes a patient appears to have very small teeth, dental implants can help.

Many times during adolescence, especially if the patients have undergone orthodontic treatment, there is excess gum tissue that is covering half of their adult tooth, and once the excess gum tissue is removed the adult tooth is now exposed giving the appearance of a normal adult tooth. It is not a case of having small teeth; it is a matter of having too much gum tissue covering the normal-sized teeth.

What Can I Expect?

Our periodontists complete the procedures fairly quickly without much chair time but with a dramatic result. However, each procedure is unique.

Occasionally orthodontic treatment worsens this problem of too much gum tissue. As the teeth are shifted and placed into proper alignment, the gum line shifts along with the teeth. Many times children who have braces, unfortunately, do not take as good care of their teeth as they should, and the gum overgrows in response to the extra bacteria that is in the plaque around the teeth.

Many times because there is only excess gum tissue without other dental concerns to address, we can remove the excess gum tissue in a short visit with no stitches required. Within two weeks the gum line is almost 100% healed and the patient has a beautiful smile. This is an excellent outcome.

Dr. Vasiliki Batalias
Periodontist

 

Farber Center’s Dr. Chris Chondrogiannis underwent specialized training to become certified in the Pinhole Surgical Technique. Here is his experience:

The Training Course

The training for the surgical technique was an intense two-day course with the inventor of the technique, Dr. John Chao.  It includes meticulous attention to the instrumentation that Dr. Chao has patented. The instruments are angled and sharpened in a specific way so as not to harm the soft tissue, and if used correctly they will mobilize and move the tissue.  It took him about 13 years to perfect the instrumentation, and he has been using these particular instruments for the past four to five years.

Dr. Chris’s Experience

My training was hands-on. We did live surgery and then the follow-up the next day to see the healing.  We spoke with the patient and got her take on it. 

In my practice, when patients arrive, they already did their research on the Internet ahead of time. They learn that we can treat an entire arch in one visit, and that is a very attractive option. 

A particular patient that I saw had cadaver soft tissue grafting on the lower front. She was unhappy that this technique would be needed for every tooth. That process would take twelve to eighteen months to complete. However, it would only take two Pinhole Surgical Technique appointments about two months apart to treat the upper and lower arches separately. 

Immediately after the Pinhole Surgical Technique root surfaces look covered. That is achieved in about two hours, without suturing, and with minimal swelling and bleeding.  The patient is very comfortable the next day simply taking Ibuprofen. Within a week everything starts looking nice and pink and healthy. By three weeks the result is excellent. 

When the patient experiences excitement from the results of one tooth, they often want the procedure performed on the entire jaw. The overwhelming majority of our patients overcome their anxiety about gum grafting.

Ultimately, our patients are very happy with the Pinhole Surgical Technique at the Farber Center.

Dr. Chris Chondrogiannis
Periodontist

Farber Center features a staff of three of the top periodontists in their field. Each has their specialty as well as decades of experience in the dental profession. Our is a holistic dental practice offering state-of-the-art treatment options to save and replace teeth — including the most effective All-on-4 Long Island has available. If you’re interested in finding out more about how dental implants can replace an entire row of teeth, schedule an appointment today.

Our Periodontists

Dr. Alan Farber

Biography

Dr. Alan Farber earned his B.A in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin and his D.D.S from the University of Texas Dental Branch at San Antonio. Over the last 30 years, he has become a go-to expert in the field of periodontics and dental implants. He is one of 50 certified LANAP instructors in the world and an expert in the 1DaySmile technique. Dr. Farber makes tremendous contributions to the dental community not only on Long Island but on a regional, national, and international level.

He is the founder and director of the Long Island Dental Forum, the Mid Suffolk Dental Group, the Suffolk Implant Forum, the Suffolk Forum for Excellence in Dentistry and an active member of many dental and periodontics societies and organizations. Additionally, he is the founder and CEO of iADS – the International Association of Dental Specialists. He also serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor in Periodontics at the State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Dentistry.

1DaySmile

Dr. Farber specializes in dental implants, namely All-on-4 and 1DaySmile. Through this procedure, a patient’s confidence is restored a one-day solution through extensive dentistry.

You no longer need to wait months for implant-supported restorations that allow you to chew, smile and speak with confidence. Now you can have a single tooth, or an entire arch of teeth replaced on the day of treatment. Furthermore, you’ll be able to leave the office with teeth in one day thanks to advances in implant dentistry.

The One-Day Smile/All-On-4® dental implants are an entire row of teeth supported by only four implants. Not to mention our permanent dentures will not move, slip, or cause embarrassment. They are securely attached to the jaw, just like natural teeth.

Moreover, this is just one of the procedures Dr. Farber offers. Refer to our website to find out more.

Dr. Chris Chondrogiannis

Biography

Dr. Chris Chondrogiannis graduated from New York University with a B.A in Biology and Psychology before obtaining his D.D.S from the same institution. Through the years, he has developed an impressive career in dentistry. He is not only a member of multiple dental and periodontic organizations but also an instructor at the New York Academy of Dentistry since 2004. He is also a Fellow to the New York Academy of Dentistry.

Pinhole Surgical Technique

Dr. Chris specializes in the Pinhole Surgical Technique, which helps patients with gum recession. This procedure gives patients a pain-free, scalpel-free, graft-free option to fix their gum recession.

Comparatively, surgery requires a large incision using a scalpel and may require multiple visits with longer appointment times. Therefore, the Pinhole oral surgery technique is an ideal choice for remedying gum recession. 

Dr. Vasiliki Batalias

Biography

Dr. Vasiliki Batalias graduated from New York University College of the Arts and Science with a seven-year combined degree – B.A as well as D.D.S. Then she went on to obtain certification as a Doctor of Dental Surgery and earned an advanced graduate certificate in periodontics. Also, she dedicates her time volunteering for the Special Olympics Special Smiles program and the Dental Outreach Program, where she provides screenings and oral health education to inner-city youth.

 

LANAP

Dr. Batalias is certified in the Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure or LANAP laser dental procedure. It is a laser gum surgery that targets not only unhealthy tissue but also bypasses healthy tissue in your gums.

LANAP™ creates an environment for regeneration of the tissues around your teeth that are lost due to periodontal disease. It is an FDA cleared treatment for periodontal disease backed by many scientific studies. 

A Special Periodontal Practice

Having three doctors specializing in three different procedures allows our patients to receive the best care. If you’re in the area of Long Island, All-on-4 is an incredibly useful option for replacing an entire row of teeth — and can be cost-effective for the quality-of-life it provides compared to other methods. 

Again, please check out our website for all the information you need about the procedures. And feel free to fill out our contact messaging system to reach us directly.

 

Dr. Vasiliki Batalias at Farber Center for Periodontics & Dental Implants discusses teeth saved by LANAP procedure and patient’s excellent follow-up and self-care.

A LANAP Case

There was a man in his thirties who saw his dentist the week before to have two molars extracted. As a young man, he was devastated. From there, he made an appointment with me. When I met him I found out the idea of having treatment in a periodontal office scared him.

This patient committed to doing the LANAP laser treatment and within a month after laser gum surgery he felt so much better. We saw him for his one-year checkup and fortunately some teeth that we thought we were probably going to lose at some point had healed dramatically.

As a result of this treatment, he was not going to lose those teeth. Later, he told me that after our initial consultation he went into his car and started crying at the thought of losing another three to four of his molars. However, the treatment was very successful and he is in our maintenance program and doing great.

LANAP Maintenance

A good maintenance program is very important. Our mouth is full of bacteria and whether you have had periodontal disease or whether you are healthy, unless we see the patients and clean their teeth on a regular basis, periodontal disease can come back. Maintenance includes having the teeth cleaned at the gum line and below the gum line to remove the bacteria that can potentially cause gum disease. It is a critical part of all periodontal treatments, both for prevention and for maintenance.

This particular patient became very highly motivated to have a healthy mouth moving forward. I think losing the two teeth was definitely a wakeup call and he was very diligent. Following treatment, he came to all his scheduled appointments including the follow-ups and the bite adjustments, and he stayed current with his maintenance every three months. His home care was very good, and he took a very active role in his oral health.

When patients are cooperative and work with us, we often get an excellent result.

Dr. Vasiliki Batalias
Periodontist

 

Holistic dentistry is part of the core values of the Farber Center for Periodontics and Dental Implants. Oral health is connected to the central nervous system, heart, circulatory system, and immune system among others. Not only does the significance of these numerous mouth-body highlight the importance of preventing and treating oral disease, but it also has significant medical impacts on “whole body” health.

Additionally, Dr. Alan Farber is a member of the American Academy for Systemic Health, which believes that there exists a connection between oral health and total body health.

What Holistic Options Do I Have?

Non-Metal Implants

We offer a variety of options for dental implants including non-metallic dental implants. These implants are made from zirconia, a type of ceramic.

Correspondingly, there are many benefits of getting a non-metal implant, such as:

• It is a holistic approach that uses no metal
• Looks and feels like real teeth
• The material is very strong, naturally occurring substance
• They are biocompatible, which means they are not harmful to living tissue
• They resist inflammation
• Studies show ceramics reduce incidents of plaque

Holistic Surgery

Another recent development in periodontal treatment is the use of the laser to regenerate bone without scalpels or sutures. Utilizing the body’s own natural ability to “heal itself”, Dr. Farber utilizes the PerioLase™ for the Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP™).

Ultimately, LANAP™ creates an environment for regeneration of the tissues around your teeth lost due to periodontal disease.

Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF)

Often when a patient is in the first stages of their dental implant journey they must first undergo a sinus-lift procedure. In the case of Sinus Lift surgery, Farber Center utilizes PRF as a holistic solution to regenerating bone. These materials help stabilize the dental implants while the graft materials, naturally replaced by your own bone, grow into the area.

Farber Center constantly makes strides to offer the best holistic dental options for your oral health. 

 

Farber Center offers a groundbreaking procedure known as the Pinhole Surgical Technique. This procedure is an advanced, minimally invasive technique for root coverage that is often needed due to gum recession.

Our Pinhole expert, Dr. Chris Chondrogiannis explains why this procedure may be right for you:

Advantages of Pinhole Surgical Technique

• We can treat multiple teeth in a single visit.

 “I can treat an entire arch in one visit. This is different than what we were able to do with traditional techniques that graft tissue from the roof of the mouth or use cadaver tissue.

• There is significantly less swelling.
  
• It is a one-visit treatment procedure with the exception of follow-up appointments.  

“That is amazing compared to traditional gum grafting.”

Even in the areas where you have the most advanced recession, the shape of the instruments used in the Pinhole Surgical Technique allows the doctor to mobilize tissue where needed. We use collagen strips to avoid using additional tissue. They resorb and will eventually become tissue.  We are able to overcorrect the recession by pulling gum tissue down to where it should be.  Then the tissue settles down to the spot where the tooth meets the root surface. 

With traditional procedures, the actual treatment for an entire arch would be done in three separate segments, maybe the upper right, the upper front and the upper left over three different visits that might be a couple of months apart.  With the Pinhole Surgical Technique I can do one surgical procedure that takes about two hours with several 20-minute follow-ups after that.

This one-visit procedure also reduces the antibiotics and anti-inflammatories the patient has to take afterwards. Considering there are fewer visits and reduced discomfort, I consider the Pinhole Surgical Technique the best option for most patients who need gum grafts.

 

 

Smoking, like many bad habits, is hard to quit. It’s no wonder companies like Nicorette turned the struggles of millions into a multi-million dollar industry. No matter how you shake the habit, it is detrimental to your oral and total body health.

Why Should I Quit Smoking?

Smokers are at risk for gum disease, tooth loss, tooth staining, and even mouth cancer.

The problem is the inhalation of nicotine into the body.

When nicotine enters the body through the mouth, the nicotine and tar from the tobacco makes your teeth yellow in a short period of time. Heavy smokers can even accumulate so much staining that their teeth turn brown.

Those who smoke are more likely to produce bacterial plaque, which is what leads to gum disease. When gums lack oxygen in the bloodstream, gums become affected and infected gums cannot heal. 

While smoking can lead to other cancers such as in the lung or throat, it can also cause mouth cancer too. Thousands die from mouth cancer as a result of mouth cancer every year.

What Methods Can I Use to Quit?

Diet

Smoking is considered an oral fixation. Many experts suggest replacing the urge to put a cigarette in your mouth with munching on healthy snacks. Eating crunchy foods like carrots, apples and celery throughout the day can substitute smoking and the need to have something in your mouth. Sugar-free gum and fresh fruit popsicles can also provide a distraction.

Additionally, limes alkalize the acidic tissues in a smoker’s (or ex-smoker’s) body and boost your immunity, which may have been weakened by smoking, and can help you stop smoking.

Exercise

As a proponent of total body health, we encourage our patients to commit to nutritious diet and a regular schedule of exercise. It replenishes the body, reduces boredom, causes you to sweat out nicotine and relieves depression.

Vitamins

Multi-vitamins containing Vitamins A, C, and E repair your body and supply essential nutrients needed to expel toxins like nicotine. They reenergize your system and give you the strength to fight withdrawals.

Medications

Although holistic methods are ideal for total body health, smokers who find themselves unable to kick their habit should speak with their general physician about prescription medications.

Farber Center Can Help

Regular visits with our periodontists will keep your gums and teeth in check. We can monitor your treatments to ensure you take preventative measures against disease. And if your gums and teeth show signs of disease from smoking or other factors, we can help you choose the proper treatment.

Visit FarberCenter.com for more information.

 

While the sweet taste of ice cream can tickle your tastebuds and cool you down it can also cause tooth decay. Why? It contains on average 28 grams of sugar.

 

What’s Wrong with Sugar?

Consuming high amounts of sugar leads to an increase of plaque in the mouth and puts you at risk of tooth decay and gum disease. 

According to Colgate, it’s not the sugar itself that does the damage, but rather the chain of events that takes place after you eat that bowl of ice cream. Certain harmful oral bacteria feed on the sugars you eat to create acids that destroy the tooth enamel. This gives way to cavities, which can result in pain and ultimately tooth loss.

How Can I Repair the Damage?

This plaque buildup caused by sugar consumption needs to be removed by your hygienist. Regular cleanings are essential to oral health as well as total body health. Farber Center offers top-notch periodontal maintenance cleanings that go far beyond your average general dentist cleaning. 

On an instant level, be sure to brush your teeth immediately after eating a sweet treat.

Additional Tips

• Avoid adding excess toppings. More toppings=More sugars
• Try grabbing a sugar-free snack
• Try an alternatives to ice cream and sweets like fresh frozen fruit!

 

For our fourth annual Food Drive we partnered with Long Island Cares. Their motto: “together we can help fight hunger on Long Island.”

Long Island Cares

Long Island Cares dedicates itself to helping the Long Island community through its food bank and other services.

Those services include:

• Baxter’s Pet Pantry, with headquarters in Hauppauge, NY, provides a pet food pantry to Long Island pet owners.
• Their emergency response service, developed in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, aids individuals and families.
• They advocate for child nutrition with their Kids Cafe After-School Food and Mentoring Program
• Not to mention a veterans program, mobile services and countless food drives

What Can You Do to Fight Hunger?

This holiday season, we encourage you to donate to our food drive to help our community fight hunger.

Fight Oral Cancer in the Process

Additionally, when you donate to our Food Drive at Farber Center, you receive half off our Velscope oral cancer screening.

For helping our community fight hunger, we want to help fight cancer in return. The VELscope detects oral cancer that the naked eye is unable to see.

The device emits a harmless, blue light that exposes abnormal tissue in the mouth. The VELscope detects abnormalities early. Early detection is key for oral cancer to be treated to save you life.

 

 

LANAP (Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure) produces less discomfort and faster recovery compared to a traditional periodontal gum surgery. As a certified LANAP clinician, Long Island periodontist Dr. Vasiliki Batalias sees those results firsthand.

 

Advantages of LANAP for a Patient

1. It only targets the diseased tissue.
2. The procedure kills bacteria that we are not able to kill by mechanical therapy.
3. It is minimally invasive, making the recovery for the patient is generally much easier.
   

   “When patients have had their periodontal disease treated previously with traditional surgery, almost 100% of the time they comment on how much they prefer laser treatment because it is more comfortable and their recovery is faster. If this is their first time having gum treatment, they usually tell us that they took ibuprofen for the first day and were generally fine after that.”

Advantages of LANAP for Providers

There are many patients who may have recurrent disease, but absolutely refuse treatment.

LANAP gives us an opportunity to help patients who otherwise would have avoided necessary treatment.

Without dental treatment, patients face significant dental health risks, such as tooth and jawbone loss.

When it comes to treating periodontal disease, the Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure has great advantages of reduced recovery time and it is a more comfortable procedure for the patient.

 

Dr. Vasiliki Batalias
Periodontist