If you’re diagnosed with periodontal disease, periodontal surgery may be recommended or required to treat your disease. Periodontal surgery is necessary when your Periodontist determines that the tissue around your teeth is unhealthy and cannot be repaired with non-surgical treatment. When periodontal disease is more advanced, resulting in damaged gum tissue and/or bone loss, surgical solutions can be used to restore tissue and/or bone.  These procedures are rapidly improving with ongoing advances in biotechnology.

• Osseous (Pocket Reduction) Surgery
• Guided tissue / bone regeneration
• Gum grafting to correct receded gums and/or exposed roots
• Bone grafting to create a healthy solid foundation for dental implants
• Crown lengthening to create sound tooth structure for restoration
• Cosmetic crown lengthening to correct a gummy smile

Osseous (Pocket Reduction) Surgery

Osseous surgery involves reshaping the jawbone under the gum. Most of the damage associated with periodontal disease occurs in the underlying bone. Bone is frequently destroyed by the infection associated with gum disease. This irregular bone will prevent the gum from laying down flat. Reshaping the bone with osseous surgery will allow the gum to lay down flat in the areas between the teeth.

As gum disease becomes more advanced it destroys the supporting tissue and bone, forming “pockets” around the teeth. Over time, these pockets become deeper, providing a larger space for bacteria to grow. As bacteria develop around the teeth, they can accumulate and advance under the gum tissue. These deep pockets collect even more bacteria, resulting in further bone and tissue loss. Eventually, if too much bone is lost, the teeth will need to be extracted.

During osseous surgery, the gum tissue is folded back and the disease-causing bacteria are removed before the tissue is secured tissue into place. In some cases, irregular surfaces of the damaged bone are smoothed to limit areas where disease- causing bacteria can hide. This allows the gum tissue to better reattach to healthy bone.

Guided tissue / bone regeneration

Guided tissue regeneration is a surgical technique to replace damaged or destroyed tissue and bone. Through the use of bone grafting materials, membranes and bioactive gels, a surgical technique is performed to stimulate new bone growth and increase the support to your teeth.

Gum grafting to correct receded gums and/or exposed roots

A soft tissue graft may be necessary when the gum has receded leaving part of the root of the tooth exposed and you have noticed an increased sensitivity to heat, cold, sweets or when brushing. The loss of gum tissue often weakens the seal between the gum and the tooth, making eventual tooth loss a possibility and increases the risk of cavities on your roots. Gingival grafting, done in the office under a local anesthetic often with the benefit of some sedation, will strengthen the seal between the tooth and gum and improve the cosmetics of the area.

Bone grafting to create a healthy solid foundation for dental implants

Today, Bone Grafting procedures have become an integral part of Implant Reconstruction. In many instances, a potential implant site in the upper or lower jaw does not offer enough bone volume or quantity to accommodate a root form implant of proper size or in the proper place. This is usually a result of bone resorption (loss) that has taken place since one or more teeth were lost. Bone Grafting procedures usually try to re-establish bone dimension, which was lost due to resorption. Since we now have the ability to grow bone where needed. This not only gives us the opportunity to place implants of proper length and width, it also gives us a chance to restore functionality and esthetic appearance.

Crown lengthening to create sound tooth structure for restoration

If your dentist and you have agreed on a new crown but there may not be enough tooth structure above the gum-line to secure it, a crown lengthening procedure may be suggested. This procedure exposes more of your tooth so the crown will have a secure attachment to the tooth and be more stable and comfortable.

Cosmetic Crown Lengthening

Cosmetic Crown lengthening can be done to remove excess gum tissue that may cause your smile to be too “gummy” in appearance. Under local anesthesia, the excess gum tissue is removed and the gums are gently reshaped to give your teeth a more attractive appearance and make teeth easier to keep clean.