Periodontal disease is a buildup of disease-causing bacteria that eat away at your soft tissue and bone. It can cause loose teeth and it can result in other serious health conditions. Because gum disease has a direct connection to your bloodstream, the harmful bacteria travels to other systems in your body and has been found to increase your risk for a number of health issues.

Plaque and bacteria buildup around the gum line cause redness and inflammation, which is known as gingivitis. This buildup occurs when you neglect proper home care, and you might experience bleeding when you brush and floss. Gingivitis is still reversible when the irritating plaque buildup is removed from your gums.

This occurs when the bone and supporting fibers around your teeth are damaged and start to break down. Hollow areas of infection called pockets form around your teeth. You cannot clean these pockets with home care, and this allows for more and more buildup of bacteria, causing further breakdown of tissue.

In the advanced stages of gum disease, the supporting bone and fibers of your teeth are damaged further, creating deeper pockets and loose teeth. Loose teeth affect your nutrition since your diet will be limited by difficulty chewing, and they will also affect your functional bite. At this stage, you must see a periodontist.

Periodontist Dr. Amalfitano in Traverse City, MIhas been in practice for 28 years and has loved serving his patients in Traverse City, MI, for the past 20 years. He is confident he can provide the most advanced procedures to treat your gum disease and save your teeth.

Dr. Joseph Amalfitano has been providing the people of Traverse City and its surrounding cities with advanced implant and periodontal care for over 20 years. Specializing in periodontics and dental implant placement and reconstruction, Dr. Amalfitanos expertise lies in performing specialist treatments, for which he has earned his reputation. He is the most experienced provider of the Teeth in an Hour , Fixed Full Mouth Dental Implants, and Teeth in a Day treatments in Northern Michigan, having had extensive experience with immediate implant full-arch reconstruction. His practice is one of the few practices in the world that can provide Zygomatic Implants which are reserved for those patients with the most severe forms of bone loss. With this procedure he can restore cases that seemed impossible a few years ago. Dr. Amalfitano has the verified experience and documented results to provide these treatments predictably and comfortably.

Dr Amalfitano is one of the few surgeons in the world who not only completes the surgery for full arch reconstruction but can also complete the restorative phase as well. His state of the art dental laboratory complete with high precision optical scanners, 3D printers, sophisticated 5 axis milling center and state of the art CAD/CAM software allows him to control the entire process of surgery through reconstruction all in one office !

Dr. Amalfitano is driven to provide the people of Northwestern Lower Michigan with the most up to date surgical techniques for the treatment of periodontal disease and the placement of dental implants. He is the first specialist in the area to provideLANAP, Laser assisted new attachment procedure. This procedure is an equivalent alternative to standard periodontal flap surgery with less pain, less bleeding and no sutures required. Dr. Amalfitano is fully trained and certified to provide this FDA cleared, patented procedure.

No matter the procedure, Dr. Amalfitano is known for his caring and respectful attitude towards his patients, who he enjoys connecting with while discussing their dental care, regardless of their backgrounds. Dr. Amalfitano helped establish a Dental Clinic that provides dental care for people who live in poverty and cannot obtain Medicaid benefits. This clinic has provided free dental care for hundreds of patients in theGrand Traverse Areaover several years. He has also held the position of board member of the Traverse Health Clinic, a free clinic that provides comprehensive medical care for the uninsured and those living in poverty in the Grand Traverse area.

Dr. Amalfitano, received his bachelors degree in Microbiology from the University of Michigan, where he also began his dental training. During this time, he participated in various research projects studying the microbiology of periodontal disease. Dr. Amalfitano then went on to complete a two-year fellowship in Oral Microbiology, before moving to the Department of Periodontics, where he received advanced surgical training in the treatment of various forms of periodontal disease and the placement of dental implants. Dr. Amalfitano continues to actively discover the newest developments in research and widen his surgical and restorative skill set. He is fully licensed to provide intravenous sedation and periodontics and also holds a general dental license. Dr. Amalfitano strives to serve his patients by offering a level of surgery and patient care that exceeds expectations.

Holly became part of our team in 2016 and has become a primary consultant in regards to everything treatment related. She is very knowledgeable and is always ready to answer any questions and concerns our patients may have. Holly is a Traverse City native and currently lives with her husband, two sons, and mischievous little guinea pig, Sir Loin! Outside of work she loves spending time with her family kayaking, paddle boarding, and camping. She looks forward to helping you get the care you deserve!

Rica joined our practice as a registered and certified dental assistant in 2015. She feels so blessed to live in beautiful northern Michigan with her two little conures, and her beloved shelties, Samson and Teddy. In her spare time Rica enjoys spending time with her family and working on pencil portrait commissions. She takes pride in being part of an excellent team that provides quality care to its patients. She is usually the first friendly face you will see as you come through our doors, so be sure to stop and say hello!

Jen is a wonderful dental assistant that has been assisting since her junior year of high school. She enjoys spending time with her family and three cats, and loves kayaking, camping, and practicing yoga in her spare time. She took six years off from dentistry but is happy to be assisting again! We are excited to have her back with us in our growing practice.

Katie joined Dr. Amalfitano's team December 2020 as a RDA. She went to school at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and Northwestern Michigan College. She moved to Traverse City four years ago and loves all that Northern Michigan has to offer. Outside of work Katie enjoys outdoors activities such as snowboarding, golfing, fishing, and much more. We are excited to have her on board!

Although surgery is sometimes the most effective option for late stage periodontitis, todays medical advances provide us with many options for the treatment of a very large number of gum disease cases. Dr. Joseph Amalfitano will discuss all your treatment options with you to find the best option for you and your teeth.

Dr. Amalfitano prides himself on being gentle yet effective. Your initial exam will cause very little discomfort. Different treatments, however, require varying levels of discomfort. We provide a range of anesthetic and sedative options to keep your pain and anxiety to a minimum.

Each individual case carries a unique set of treatments. Your fee can only be calculated on an individual basis following your preliminary examination. Dr. Amalfitano strives to make the simplest, most effective treatment plans in order to restore your oral health. During your examination, we will discuss an estimate of fees and payment options with you. If you have any questions, please contact us today.

Dr. Amalfitano prefers conservative treatments that save the most teeth. With todays advances in technology, he finds that most issues can be successfully treated so teeth are saved. Early treatment of gum disease and promptly replacing missing teeth with dental implants helps ensure that all your remaining teeth will continue to serve you for the rest of your life.