Periodontal Treatment in Houston, TX
Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. Dr. Michel Azer is a board-certified periodontist — a specialist in diagnosing and treating the gum and bone conditions that destroy the foundation your teeth depend on.
What Is Gum Disease?
Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection of the gums and bone that support your teeth. It starts as gingivitis — red, swollen, bleeding gums — and progresses to periodontitis, where the infection spreads below the gum line and begins destroying the bone.
Left untreated, the bone loss continues until your teeth loosen and eventually fall out or need to be extracted. This doesn't happen overnight. It's a slow process that many people don't notice until significant damage is done.
The connection to implants is direct: patients who lose teeth to gum disease often need dental implants. But implants can't be placed into infected tissue. The disease has to be treated first. And the same specialist who treats your gum disease — a periodontist — is the one best equipped to place your implants once the foundation is healthy.
That's Dr. Azer's training. He treats the disease AND restores the teeth. Same doctor, same office.
How to Know If You Have Gum Disease
Most people with gum disease don't know it. It's often painless in the early stages. Watch for:
If any of these sound familiar, don't wait. The earlier periodontal disease is caught, the more bone and teeth can be saved.
Periodontal Treatments Dr. Azer Provides
Scaling and Root Planing (Deep Cleaning)
A non-surgical procedure that removes bacterial plaque and tartar from below the gum line and smooths the root surfaces so gums can reattach. This is the first line of treatment for most periodontal disease.
Periodontal Maintenance
After initial treatment, ongoing maintenance cleanings every 3-4 months keep the disease from returning. This is more thorough than a standard dental cleaning and specifically targets the areas affected by periodontal disease.
Gum Grafting
For patients with significant gum recession, tissue can be grafted to rebuild the gum line, protect exposed roots, and prevent further recession.
Bone Grafting
When periodontal disease has destroyed bone around teeth, grafting can rebuild that bone — either to save existing teeth or to prepare the jaw for dental implants. Learn more about bone grafting →
Pocket Reduction Surgery
In advanced cases, Dr. Azer surgically accesses the roots to remove deep deposits and reshape damaged bone, reducing the pockets where bacteria collect.
Why See a Periodontist Instead of a General Dentist?
Your general dentist is trained to identify gum disease and perform basic cleanings. A periodontist is a specialist who completed three additional years of surgical residency training focused specifically on treating it.
Dr. Azer's residency at Boston University was dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease, bone regeneration, and soft tissue surgery. His published research on the link between periodontal disease and diabetes earned him the Richard Stallard Award.
For mild gingivitis, your general dentist handles it. For established periodontitis — bone loss, deep pockets, recession, loose teeth — a periodontist has the training to manage the disease, perform surgical interventions, and plan the next steps if teeth need to be replaced with implants.
Many general dentists in Houston refer their periodontal cases to Dr. Azer for exactly this reason.
From Gum Disease to Dental Implants
Many patients at Texas Dental Implant Center follow this path:
Gum disease damages the bone and teeth beyond saving
Periodontal treatment stabilizes the disease
Failing teeth are extracted
Bone grafting rebuilds the jaw if needed
Dental implants replace the missing teeth
Having a periodontist manage this entire process — from disease treatment through implant placement — means one doctor overseeing every step. No referrals between offices, no gaps in communication, no starting over with a new provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Concerned About Your Gums?
The sooner gum disease is treated, the more bone and teeth can be saved. Dr. Azer evaluates your periodontal health during a free consultation.
1811 Bering Dr, Suite 110, Houston, TX 77057
Medically reviewed by Dr. Michel Azer, DDS, CAGS, MSD — Board-Certified Periodontist