- Gingivitis
- Red, swollen, bleeding gums — an early, fully reversible stage with professional cleaning and home care.
- Periodontitis
- Progression of gingivitis to bone loss around teeth. Not reversible but can be halted. The leading cause of adult tooth loss.
- Peri-implantitis
- The implant equivalent of periodontitis — inflammation and bone loss around an implant. Occurs in 5–10% of implants long-term.
- Crown lengthening
- Reshaping the gum line to expose the teeth's full natural length. Dr. Assaggaf's signature procedure — solves "gummy smile".
- Gum graft
- Adding gum tissue where recession has occurred. Source: tissue from the palate or a donor. Protects exposed roots.
- Guided bone/tissue regeneration (GBR/GTR)
- A technique to grow new bone or tissue in a damaged site using membranes and grafts. Foundation of implant success in bone-deficient cases.
- Scaling and root planing (SRP)
- Deep below-the-gum cleaning to remove tartar and smooth the root surfaces — first-line treatment for periodontitis. Performed under local anesthesia.
- Laser periodontal therapy
- Using Er:YAG or Nd:YAG lasers to precisely remove bacteria and inflamed tissue while stimulating healing. Less painful than conventional surgery.
- Gum recession
- Receding gum line exposing tooth roots. Causes: aggressive brushing, gum disease, occlusal pressure, or genetic. Classified Miller Class I–IV to determine treatability.
- Connective tissue graft (CTG)
- The gold-standard procedure for covering gum recession. Connective tissue is harvested from the palate and grafted beneath the gum at the recession site. 90%+ success rate with full root coverage.
- Furcation involvement
- Progression of advanced periodontitis into the area between molar roots. Classified Class I–III. Difficult to treat — requires a tailored plan (bone regeneration or extraction).
- Periodontal pocket / probing depth
- Measurement with a periodontal probe from the gum margin to the bottom of the gingival pocket. Normal 1–3 mm, 4–5 mm early inflammation, 6+ mm advanced periodontitis requiring urgent treatment.
- Bleeding on probing (BOP)
- Bleeding from the gum on probe insertion — the earliest reliable sign of gum inflammation. Present at 20%+ of sites indicates active inflammation requiring deep cleaning.
- Peri-implant mucositis
- Soft-tissue inflammation around the implant without bone loss. A reversible stage before progression to peri-implantitis. Detected early via 6-monthly probing.
- Gingival biotype (thin / thick)
- Classification of gum thickness. Thin biotype is recession-prone post-treatment, thick is more stable. Determined before any cosmetic procedure.