If you're diagnosed with periodontal disease, your
periodontist may recommend periodontal surgery. Periodontal surgery is necessary
when your periodontist determines that the tissue around your teeth is unhealthy
and cannot be repaired with non-surgical
treatment.
To clean and reduce periodontal
pockets…
You cannot keep deep pockets clean and
free of plaque just by brushing and flossing alone. The pockets also may be too
deep even for your dentist or hygienist to clean. Your periodontist will reduce
the pockets and position the gums to minimize areas where disease-causing
bacteria can hide.
To reshape damaged
bone…
If bone loss has occurred, your periodontist
might perform osseous (bone) surgery. This is done to smooth the uneven or
irregular surface of the damaged bone and promote healing of the periodontal
pocket.
Guided Tissue Regeneration (growing bone around
teeth) ….is a surgical procedure that “regenerates” previously lost gum and bone
tissue around the teeth.
If the disease goes untreated,
damage to gum and bone attachment to the teeth will continue. These techniques
restore and strengthen the support of the teeth so they can function longer. In
fact, there are many new technologies available to enhance bone regeneration.
You may want to talk with your periodontist about
these.
To expose more of the tooth to make dental
repair possible…
When a tooth is decayed or broken
below the gumline, periodontal surgery might be needed to adjust the gum and
bone level to expose more of the tooth so it can be
repaired.
To improve
appearance…
In certain instances, appearance can be
improved with periodontal surgery. For example, a “toothy” smile caused by gum
recession or shrinkage often can be corrected by soft tissue grafting
techniques. Soft tissue grafting also helps prevent further gum recession.
Likewise, teeth can be made to look longer for a patient with a “gummy” smile.
These are just two examples of how periodontal surgery can improve your
appearance.
A cosmetic form of periodontal treatment....
Gum contouring/reshaping can actually change the shape of your gum-line to enhance the look of your smile.
Video -Gum Reshaping or Contouring