Dental or Oral Surgery

Category

Dental/Oral Surgery

How is periodontal disease treated?

• People who have very early periodontal disease (gingivitis) may be able to reverse the condition with routine dental cleaning and improved oral hygiene. Because there’s no bone loss yet, this conservative approach gets rid of harmful oral bacteria before the disease has a chance to progress.
• Proper oral hygiene includes brushing two to three times a day, flossing daily, and visiting your dentist for regular exams and cleanings.

Scaling and root planing

Scaling and root planing are similar to routine dental cleaning. But it cleans deeper beneath your gums, removing plaque and bacteria that your toothbrush and floss can’t reach. Periodontists recommend this treatment for people with mild gum disease.

Pocket reduction surgery

People with moderate to advanced gum disease may need pocket reduction surgery. The goal is to remove plaque and tartar that are so deep under the gums that your hygienist can’t reach them. During this procedure, a periodontist makes an incision (cut) in your gums and creates a flap. This allows them to temporarily move your gums back from your teeth roots.

Next, they’ll clean the plaque, tartar, and bacteria from your teeth roots and smooth out any rough areas. Once complete, they’ll reposition your gums and close the incision with stitches.

Oftentimes, periodontists combine pocket reduction surgery with other regenerative procedures, such as bone grafting, gum grafting, or guided tissue regeneration.

LANAP (Laser-assisted new attachment procedure)

Some periodontists also offer pocket reductions with LANAP. This procedure treats periodontitis using a handheld laser. The laser targets diseased gum tissue while leaving healthy tissue intact.

LANAP is a less-invasive alternative to traditional pocket reduction surgery. But the results are mixed.

Bone grafting

Your periodontist may use a dental bone graft to replace bone that you’ve lost to gum disease. Once they clean the infection out, they’ll place bone grafting material into the areas where the bone has eroded. This material acts as scaffolding or a space-holder, giving your body time to regenerate its own bone over time.

Gum grafting

If you’ve lost gum tissue to periodontal disease, your dentist may recommend gum graft surgery, also called tissue grafting. This procedure covers exposed teeth roots and adds thickness to your gum line.

During this procedure, a periodontist will add tissue to the areas of gum recession. This tissue may come from the roof of your mouth, or your provider may purchase it from a licensed bone and tissue bank.

Guided tissue regeneration (GTR)

Usually, periodontists use guided tissue regeneration in combination with a bone graft. GTR helps repair periodontal defects (areas of broken-down bone) and prevents soft tissue from growing into these areas.

During GTR, a periodontist places an artificial membrane between your gums and the newly placed bone grafting material. Soft tissue regenerates faster than bone, so the membrane keeps that space open so new bone can grow there instead of soft tissue.

Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP)

Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains growth factors that speed up healing and tissue regeneration. A periodontist can get PRF and PRP from a small sample of your blood. They’ll spin the sample in a centrifuge (a lab machine that spins rapidly, using centrifugal force) to separate plasma from your red blood cells. Then they’ll place the platelet-rich plasma or fibrin at the surgical site.

In addition to boosting healing, this type of therapy can also shorten recovery times and reduce post-surgical pain. And because it comes from your own blood, it’s completely safe.