What is Gum Disease?
Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, can be treated in many ways. One of the most preferred procedures used to treat gum disease is known as scaling and root planing. However, there are cases where this technique may not work, and the patient will need to undergo surgical treatment for gum disease. This often happens if the surrounding tissue is too unhealthy to be treated in a non-surgical way.
We'll go over a few surgical interventions for gum disease that our dentist can perform:
Flap surgery/pocket reduction surgery: The dentist uses a special tool to lift back the gums and reveal the tartar beneath in order to remove it. If the disease-causing bacteria is in other areas, bone surgery may also be used to ensure it's properly removed. Once the tartar is removed and the bone smoothened, the gums are tucked back in around the tooth. This is done to ensure there's no more room for the bacteria to grow. Flap surgery can really help to reduce the risk of gum disease which can cause more serious health issues.
Bone surgery: Another surgical intervention for gum disease is known as bone surgery. This is often done when a patient who has undergone flap surgery has remaining craters in the gum where bacteria can easily hide. The craters form due to moderate or advanced bone loss. Getting rid of these craters can minimize the risk of bacteria and infections in the future.
Bone grafts: This procedure involves taking fragments of a human bone (from a different part of the patient's body or from a donor) or a synthetic bone and using them in areas where there's a significant or moderate bone loss caused by periodontal disease. Bone grafts provide a foundation where new bone can grow and hence provide the teeth the stability they need. Modern dental clinics use what is commonly referred to as tissue engineering to quicken the body to regrow its own tissue and bone. This technique allows the body to produce more bone and tissue faster than ever before which helps to speed up recovery time.
Soft tissue grafts: A soft tissue graft procedure involves taking tissue from a different section, usually the roof the mouth, and placing it in the area that has been damaged by gum disease. The tissue grafts help to repair common dental issues like receded gums or bone that has been ravaged by periodontal disease.
Guided tissue regeneration: This is a procedure that is designed to encourage new bone and gum tissue to grow for patients who have suffered serious gum damage. Typically, guided tissue regeneration is performed with flap surgery. The technique involves placing a tiny piece of mesh-like material in the area between the gum tissue and the bone to serve as a buffer that prevents the tissue from overtaking the bone and filling up that space. This gives the bone adequate space to regrow properly on its own.
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