Surgical Treatment

Surgical Treatment – Reshaping the gum (periodontal pocket reduction)

A periodontal pocket reduction procedure is recommended because you have pockets that are too deep to clean with a daily at-home oral hygiene and a professional care routine.

During this procedure, your gum tissue is folded back and the disease-causing bacteria are removed before securing the tissue into place. In some cases, irregular surfaces of the damaged bone are smoothed to limit areas where disease-causing bacteria can hide. This allows the gum tissue to better reattach to healthy bone.

Reducing pocket depth and eliminating existing bacteria are important to prevent damage caused by the progression of periodontal disease and to help you maintain a healthy smile. Eliminating bacteria alone may not be sufficient to prevent disease recurrence. Deeper pockets are more difficult for you and your dental care professional to clean, so it’s important for you to reduce them. Reduced pockets and a combination of daily oral hygiene and professional maintenance care increase your chances of keeping your natural teeth – and decrease the chance of serious health problems associated with periodontal disease.

With newer surgical techniques and instruments, periodontal surgery tends to be more conservative and minimally invasive. Surgery is usually reserved for the worst affected areas of your mouth.

Surgical Treatment – Growing back the lost bone (regenerative procedures)

Procedures that regenerate lost bone and tissue supporting your teeth can reverse some of the damage caused by periodontal disease.

When the bone supporting your teeth has been destroyed due to periodontal disease, a regenerative procedure can reverse some of the damage by regenerating lost bone and tissue.

During this procedure, your gum tissue is folded back and the disease-causing bacteria are removed. A membrane (filter), bone grafts or tissue-stimulating proteins can be used to encourage your body’s natural ability to regenerate bone and tissue.

Eliminating existing bacteria and regenerating bone and tissue helps to reduce pocket depth and repair damage caused by the progression of periodontal disease. With a combination of daily oral hygiene and professional maintenance care, you’ll increase the chances of keeping your natural teeth – and decrease the chances of other health problems associated with periodontal disease.

For more information regarding this treatment