Tauranga Periodontics and Dental Implants
Specialist care for you
Our Services
Periodontal Treatment
At TPDI, we provide both non-surgical and surgical periodontal (gum disease) treatments to restore the health of your gums and prevent tooth loss. Our team of experts will assess your needs and use the latest techniques and technology to provide you with the best possible care.
Gingival Grafting
If you have lost gum tissue due to periodontal disease, injury, or other reasons, we offer gingival grafting procedures to restore your oral health and improve your smile. Our team of experts will assess your needs and provide you with a personalized treatment plan.
Periodontal Supportive
Therapy
Regular "dental cleanings" (Periodontal Supportive Therapy) is essential to maintaining good oral health. Our team of experts will provide you with a thorough cleaning and help you develop a personalized oral hygiene routine to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Dental Implants
We offer dental implant services to replace missing teeth and restore your smile. Our specialists use state-of-the-art technology and techniques to ensure the best possible outcome for your dental implant procedure.
Bone Grafting
If you have lost bone due to periodontal disease, injury, or other reasons, we offer simple and complex bone grafting procedures to restore your oral health and improve your smile. Our team of experts will assess your needs and provide you with a personalized treatment plan.
Peri-implant Supportive Therapy
Regular dental implant maintenance (Peri-implant Supportive Therapy) is essential to maintaining good oral health and ensuring the longevity of your dental implants. Our team of experts offer a comprehensive maintenance program to ensure the health of your dental implants.
Technology and Services Highlights
Guided implant surgery
Guided dental implant surgery is a state-of-the-art procedure that helps us replace missing teeth with precision and accuracy. Let's break down the process a bit:
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Planning: We will use special 3D scanners to take detailed pictures of your jaw bone and teeth. This gives us a full view of where your nerves, bones, and sinuses are.
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Virtual Placement: The images from the 3D scans are used to create a virtual model of your mouth. Then we will use this model on a computer to plan exactly where the implants (the artificial tooth roots) should go.
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Guide Creation: A custom-made guide is then created, which fits over your teeth like a mouthguard. This guide has small holes in it that match where to place the implants.
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Surgery: During the actual surgery, we will fit the guide in your mouth, and use it to place the implant(s). This makes sure that the implants go exactly where they were planned to go.
Guided implant surgery helps reduce the risk of errors, speeds up the surgery, and often results in a smoother recovery because it can be less invasive.
3D Assisted Bone Grafting Surgery
3D assisted bone grafting surgery is a state-of-the-art procedure used to strengthen the jawbone to support dental implants. If a jawbone is too thin or soft due to tooth loss, a bone graft (like a building foundation) is added to provide a sturdy base. Before surgery, 3D scans create a roadmap of the jaw, aiding us in developing a surgical guide for placing the graft accurately and safely. This is particularly important for complex grafting surgeries. Post-surgery, the body replaces the graft with its own bone over several months, strengthening the area to support an implant.
Guided Biofilm Therapy
Accumulation of plaque/biofilm (a sticky film of bacteria) on teeth is the main cause of gum disease. Gum disease is the main cause of bone loss and teeth loss in adults. Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) is a new, systematic way of cleaning and managing biofilm in your mouth. This process uses the latest equipment like AIRFLOW (spray with biofilm removal properties) and PIEZON (ultrasound w/high capacity biofilm and calculus/tartar removal properties) which are specially designed for deep and effective cleaning.
What's special about GBT is that it's tailored for each person. Your dentist will assess your teeth and gums, and then create a cleaning plan that's just for you. This is done to get the best results. Plus, the treatment is as gentle as possible, so it's more comfortable, safe, and efficient.
IV Sedation
IV sedation is a type of anesthesia used during certain procedures that induces a deeply relaxed, dreamy state, but doesn't fully put you to sleep. Administered via a needle into a vein, it's helpful for easing anxiety or discomfort during long or potentially painful procedures. Afterward, patients typically don't remember much of the procedure. A ride home is needed as it takes time for the sedation effects to wear off.
Pinhole Gingival Rejuvenation
The Chao Pinhole Gum Rejuvenation technique is a modern way of treating receding gums without the need for traditional surgery. If you've ever noticed your gums pulling back from your teeth, making your teeth look longer than usual, that's gum recession. It's a common issue, but it can lead to tooth sensitivity and other dental problems if left untreated.
Instead of cutting and stitching your gums, which is what traditional gum surgery involves, the Chao Pinhole technique just makes a tiny hole (about the size of a pin) in your gum tissue. Then, using special tools, we gently loose the gum tissue and slide it back over the parts of your teeth where it had receded.
The whole process is minimally invasive, which means it's less painful and has a quicker recovery time compared to traditional gum surgery. Plus, the tiny pinhole made during the procedure heals very quickly, often by the next day.
Cosmetic Gingival (Gums) Procedures
Cosmetic gingival procedures are dental treatments focused on improving the appearance of your gums. These can include addressing issues like receding gums, excessive gum tissue which can make your teeth appear shorter ("gummy smile"), or gum irregularities. The aim is to achieve a balanced, healthy-looking smile. Methods can vary from minimally invasive techniques to more traditional surgery, depending on the specific situation and your needs.
Our Team
Dr Getulio (Gee) Nogueira
BDS, MClinDent, DClinDent (Unicamp, Brazil)
Periodontist and Dental Implant Surgeon
Getulio Nogueira graduated with a BDS from the Federal University of Bahia (Brazil) in 1991 and gained his DClinDent (PhD) in Periodontology from the University of Campinas (Brazil) in 1999. He also has postdoc training in Immunology and Microbiology from the University of Washington (USA, 2004) and the University of Hong Kong (China, 2008). He also worked as Clinical Education Specialist for Implants at DensplySirona with a TTT in biomaterials (Germany, 2016). Dr Nogueira has recently worked as a Senior Lecturer in Periodontics at the University of Otago.
Dr Nogueira has published over 65 peer-reviewed papers in the areas of Periodontics and Dental Implantology, available at PubMed. His main research focus is host modulation, and his passion is practising evidence-based periodontics. He was recently awarded a research grant to develop a novel biogel for host modulation.
Dr Diogo (DJ) Godoy Zanicotti
BDS, Spec(Perio), Spec(Implant), MClinDent(Implant), PhD
Periodontist and Dental Implant Surgeon
DJ has been a specialist Periodontist for 18 years. DJ has specialist degrees in both Periodontics and Dental Implantology (Brazil), a Masters Degree in Clinical Dentistry – Dental Implantology (Brazil), and a PhD on stem cells and dental implants from the University of Otago (New Zealand). He is an active member of numerous national and international dental organisations including the American Academy of Periodontology, The New Zealand Dental Association, New Zealand Society for Sedation in Dentistry, and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Periodontists.
DJ has presented lectures, seminars, and surgical training programmes in New Zealand and Internationally. His literature contributions include scientific articles and textbook chapters. His areas of special interest are dental implants, soft tissue grafting, and bone grafting. DJ is also a passionate advocate of sustainability in Dentistry.
Dr Jonathan (Jono) Martin
BDS, DClinDent(Perio)
Periodontist and Dental Implant Surgeon
Jono is a Specialist Periodontist and Implant Surgeon with a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Periodontics. He has a comprehensive background in dentistry, having practised in the hospital and private sectors in Masterton, New Plymouth and Dunedin before advancing to specialist training. Jono’s areas of interest include soft tissue grafting, dental implants, and bone augmentation. His research focuses on the development and application of novel biogels for tissue regeneration. He is an active member of several professional organisations, including the New Zealand Society of Periodontists, the New Zealand Society for Sedation in Dentistry, the New Zealand Dental Association and the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Periodontists.
Jono has presented lectures, seminars, and surgical training programmes in New Zealand. His approach to periodontal care is rooted in evidence-based practice and a commitment to patient-centered outcomes. He uri ia nō Tūhoe, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Kahungunu me Ngāti Porou.