The smile you’ve always wanted

You may not even know you suffer from gum disease. “Sometimes before a patient is even aware they have it, the damage has already begun,” says Dr. Omar Usman, Periodontist and Dental Implant Surgeon at Durham Periodontics. “Gum disease causes the jaw bone to deteriorate leading to receding gums and ultimately loose or missing teeth.”

The oral cavity is the gateway to one’s oral heath but also to one’s overall health. People with certain general health issues such as diabetes will often show signs and describe symptoms in their mouth first.

If you’ve noticed that your breath doesn’t seem as fresh as it once was, you now have a constant bad taste in your mouth, or that your teeth are drifting or becoming loose, you may have gum disease. Book a consultation with Dr. Usman to discuss your options. Together with his friendly, professional team of hygienists, clinical assistants and receptionists, Dr. Usman can give you the smile you’ve always wanted by rehabilitating your teeth and gums. And you don’t need a referral from your regular dentist.

Rehab for your smile

“Missing teeth and wearing dentures can age a person emotionally and it can be uncomfortable,” explains Dr. Usman. “Some patients choose to rehabilitate their smiles with dental implants so they don’t have to rely on dentures anymore.”

Denture-wearers are often beholden to denture adhesives and they worry that their dentures may break on vacation or fall out causing a humiliating scene. Dental implants are made of titanium which integrate with the patient’s jaw so that a new tooth can be built using the implant as a replacement for a tooth root. They look like real teeth and require regular dental maintenance like real teeth. 

As a surgical specialist in gums and bone, Dr. Usman can offer a welcome option to annoying dentures and enduring a smile with missing teeth. “Dental implants are like a third set of teeth,” he explains with a smile. “You have your baby teeth, your adult teeth and your implant teeth.”

 Gum disease isn’t the only reason for dental implants

“Patients can loose teeth for a number of reasons aside from gum disease including large cavities, fractured teeth, and trauma” says Dr. Usman. “Hockey players often experience broken teeth out of the jaw. We can put in single implants to look like natural individual teeth.”

What to expect

During your first visit, he will examine your mouth and perform a routine oral cancer screening as well as measurements to assess your overall oral health. Following the exam, you will review his clinical findings along with photographs and x-rays in a consultation room where Dr. Usman will explain in clear to understand language the root cause of what is going on inside your mouth and explain the treatment options that are available to rehabilitate your smile.

Dr. Usman says there are three phases to rehabilitation from gum disease. “Phase one is putting out the fire,” he explains. “We deal with the patient’s primary concern and deal with damage already done.” 

“Phase two of the rehabilitation process involves rebuilding what they’ve lost,” says Dr. Usman. “Whether the patient is experiencing gum recession or lost teeth, we can repair the problem and replace teeth. The third phase is the maintenance phase. The patient is now healthy and we continue to monitor the condition of the gums and teeth so they don’t develop problems again,” explains Dr. Usman. 

Are you worried about the cost of treatment? “We work very hard to maximize a patient’s insurance benefits,” Dr. Usman explains. “Our staff will start a dialogue with the insurance company and translate the insurance jargon so our patient can focus their attention on the treatment option that is best for them.”

Dr. Usman understands the importance of a healthy smile and a happy patient. A family man himself, he grew up in Toronto and is married with two children. He received his Bachelor of Science from McMaster University, and then completed four years of dental school at the University of Toronto. Moving to Cleveland, Ohio, to complete his hospital residency with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Dr. Usman returned to the University of Toronto to continue his studies for another three years, achieving his Master’s degree and clinical training with a specialty in Periodontics including implant dentistry. He now welcomes patients into his own clinic, Durham Periodontics, conveniently located at Dundas and Thickson in Whitby. He is currently the president of the Durham Ontario Dental Society and is a part-time instructor at the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto. 

For more information and to book your consultation, call Dr. Omar Usman BSc, DDS, MSc, FRCD(C), Periodontist and Implant Surgeon at (905) 448-0644.