Times Where Gum Tissue May Need To Be Removed To Treat Gum Disease

Sometimes, gum diseases can advance to stages where minimally invasive procedures aren’t effective. When this occurs, periodontal surgery is needed to prevent the progression of gum diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis.

Types Of Periodontal Procedures

Which type of gum surgery we recommend will depend on your type of gum disease and its severity. Prior to surgery, our staff will give your gums a deep clean with either deep scaling or root planing. Scaling removes bacteria and tartar from your teeth and gums, while root planing smooths the surfaces of your teeth so there are fewer places for bacteria and tartar to build up. Often, these procedures are performed simultaneously. After a thorough cleaning, you’re ready for subsequent periodontal procedures that may include the following.

Flap Surgery

This procedure is beneficial for those with tartar deposits in very deep pockets and involves lifting your gums from your teeth to remove the buildup. Then, we will stitch your gums into place around your teeth.

Guided Tissue Regeneration

For this procedure, we place a mesh-like material between your bone and gum tissue to keep your gums from growing into pockets where bone tissue should be. This allows for regeneration of both bone and connective tissue.

Tissue Grafting

When your gums recede from loss of gum tissue, soft tissue grafting is often necessary to restore your gums and reduce your risk of further damage. During tissue grafting, we remove healthy tissue from one part of your body and reattach it to the site where decayed or dead (necrotic) gum tissue was removed.

Bone Grafting

When your tooth roots are damaged, you may also need a bone graft, which involves the replacement of damaged or destroyed bone with healthy bone tissue, either yours, manufactured, or donated.

When gum disease has become severe, periodontal surgery can reverse gingivitis and periodontitis safely and effectively. Although this often requires the removal of necrotic gum tissue or damaged bone, periodontal surgical procedures can protect you from further damage and help protect against recurrence.

Contact our office for more information about periodontal surgery for advanced gum disease.