Treating Your Gum Disease With Surgery: What You Should Know

When it comes to your oral health, nothing has more of an impact on your overall health than gum disease. There are many gum disease treatments available. However, when your gum disease becomes advanced, you will likely need some type of surgical intervention. In order to better understand what surgical interventions you may need to treat your gum disease, get to know your options and how these surgeries are used to help your get rid of and recover from your gum disease. Then, you will be prepared to get rid of your gum disease once and for all. 

Gum Pocket Surgery

The most common surgical intervention for gum disease is gum pocket surgery. This surgical method is used to help you get rid of infection-causing plaque, bacteria, and buildup in your gums. 

There are pockets located in your gums where your teeth fit into them. When you are suffering from gum disease, these pockets get filled with plaque, buildup, and the like. Gum pocket surgery accesses that pocket and clears it of unwanted debris. 

Your dentist will lift the gum tissue away from your tooth, clear out the debris, and then refit your gum tissue tightly onto your teeth to prevent future problems. 

Graft Surgeries

Once your infection is under control, you will need to deal with the aftereffects of your gum disease. In many cases, this will involve either soft tissue grafts, bone grafts or both. 

The soft tissue of your gums is eaten away by gum disease. The damaged and infected portions of your gums need to be cut away to prevent the spread of your gum disease. This can result in uneven, deeply receded gums. 

To help protect your teeth and maintain aesthetics, your oral surgeon can perform soft tissue grafts. This procedure will rebuild your gums, keeping your dental health and smile intact. 

If your gum disease has progressed far enough, it may also have affected the underlying bone structure as well. To ensure that your teeth are safe and you will not lose them, you may need bone grafts to rebuild the bone structure as well. 

Bone grafts can be made out of bone harvested from natural bone either your own or donated, or using synthetic materials. Rebuilding the bone will help you maintain your oral health going forward and will keep your dental structure stable and intact. 

While surgery may not be your first choice in gum disease treatment, it may be necessary to get your oral health back on track. So, consider the options, and understand that surgery will help speed your recovery. Consult a periodontist like Periodontal Specialists for more information.

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