Flap Surgery

Periodontal Flap Surgery, which is also called pocket depth reduction, your periodontist folds the gum back away from the tooth. Periodontal Flap surgery is recommended in many cases where pocketing depths have reached a level that makes maintenance or cleansing difficult. It is often associated with areas of bone loss and inflammation of the gum tissue around the teeth in cases of moderate to severe periodontitis.

When scaling and root planing have been unsuccessful in eliminating periodontal flap surgery. In flap surgery, under local anesthesia, small incisions are made in the gum, so that it can be lifted back to expose the tooth and bone. The entire area is carefully cleaned and all tarter and infected granulation tissue are removed and the bone is examined. Because periodontal disease causes bone loss, often the bone will need to be re-contoured in order for the gum to heal properly.

After scraping away the bacteria-laden plaque and tartar, the dentist removes diseased tissue and smoothes the surface of damaged bones. Then the dentist sews the tissue back into place. Removing or smoothing damaged tissue allows the gum tissue to better reattach to healthy bone.

Soft Tissue Grafts

Soft tissue grafts can be used to cover roots or develop gum tissue where absent due to excessive gingival recession. A thin piece of tissue is grafted from the roof of the mouth, or gently moved over from adjacent areas, to provide a stable band of attached gingiva around the tooth. The gingival graft may be placed in such a way as to cover the exposed portion of the root. During this procedure, the periodontist takes gum tissue from your palate or another donor source to cover the exposed root. This can be done for one tooth or several teeth to even your gum line and reduce sensitivity.

A soft tissue graft can reduce further recession and bone loss. In some cases, it can cover exposed roots to protect them from decay. Soft tissue grafts and other root coverage procedures are a predictable way to cover unsightly, sensitive or exposed root surfaces, to prevent future gum recession and restore healthy gum tissue. This will reduce further bone loss and recession, make the tooth less sensitive, protect the root from root cavities, and look more natural when you smile. If you are unhappy with the appearance of short unsightly teeth this can be greatly improved by a combination of periodontal procedures.

Bone Grafts

When there is a considerable amount of bone loss around the teeth & certain Bone grafting procedures can be performed along with the flap surgery procedure to ensure new bone regeneration thereby salvaging the whole condition.