Surgical Treatment of Periodontal Disease

Some individuals require more advanced treatment.  In this case a surgery may be needed.  Some of the surgery involving procedures:

• Flap surgery/pocket reduction surgery - the gums are lifted back and the tarter is removed.  In some cases, irregular surfaces of the damaged bone are smoothed to limit areas where disease-causing bacteria can hide.  The gums are then placed so that the tissue fits snugly around the tooth.  This method reduces the size of the space between the gum and tooth, thereby decreasing the areas where harmful bacteria can grow and decreasing the chance of serious health problems.
• Bone grafts - involves using fragments of your own bone, synthetic bone, or donated bone to replace bone destroyed by gum disease.  The grafts serve as a platform for the regrowth of bone, which restores stability to teeth.  New technology, called tissue engineering, encourages your own body to regenerate bone and tissue at an accelerated rate.
• Soft tissue grafts - reinforces thin gums or fills in places where gums have receded.  Grafted tissue, most often taken from the roof of the mouth, is stitched in place, adding tissue to the affected area.
• Guided tissue regeneration - performed when the bone supporting your teeth has been destroyed, this procedure stimulates bone and gum tissue growth.  Done in combination with flap surgery, a small piece of mesh-like fabric is inserted between the bone and gum tissue.  This keeps the gum tissue from growing into the area where the bone should be.
• Bone surgery - smoothes shallow craters in the bone due to moderate and advanced bone loss.  Following flap surgery, the bone around the tooth is reshaped to decrease the craters. This makes it harder for bacteria to collect and grow.