Periodontics, Continued

The Benefits of Surgical Treatments

Chronic, advanced periodontitis causes gum recession, gum pocket deepening, bone destruction, and gum tissue damage. In such cases, it's difficult or impossible to restore the condition to health without surgical intervention. Typically, periodontists may perform at least four different surgical treatments to arrest and heal such damage: pocket depth reduction, bone or tissue regeneration, crown lengthening, and/or soft tissue grafts. All of these procedures may prevent further damage, allowing tissues to heal, and improving your chances of keeping your teeth for life.

Pocket depth reduction simply involves surgically folding back diseased gum pocket tissue, removing bacteria, smoothing tooth surfaces to eliminate bacterial breeding grounds, and reattaching the tissue. Once healed, this procedure allows more effective hygiene and can arrest further damage. If the bone supporting the teeth has actually been destroyed, however, a bit more complex procedure is required. Bone or tissue regeneration involves surgically folding back the gum tissue, removing bacteria, and placing specialized membranes, bone grafts, or tissue-stimulating proteins. These materials are designed to stimulate the body to produce new, healthy tissue to replace what has been lost.

If teeth are decayed and/or broken below the gum line, or if periodontitis has caused significant gum recession and exposed sensitive roots, either crown lengthening or soft tissue grafts may be required. In crown lengthening, excess gum tissue is surgically removed to expose more of the natural tooth area for better hygiene or for restorative purposes, such as attachment of a bridge or crown. Conversely, soft tissue grafts simply do the opposite: tissue is taken from the palate or another appropriate donor area and grafted onto areas where tooth roots are exposed or sensitive. Both procedures have the beneficial esthetic affects of evening out the gum line, stopping gum recession, and creating a broader smile shape.

If you have further questions about periodontitis and current treatments, please contact our office for a consultation.

Back to library