Before opting for gum infection treatment take an overview of peridontal surgery

When we talk about oral hygiene, the first thing that comes to our mind is the health and hygiene of our teeth. However, equally important is the health, protection, and hygiene of the gums. Gums provide support to the teeth and aid the mouth in mastication. When dental infection is left untreated, it can spread to the gums and infect them. Advanced gum infection is known as Gingivitis or periodontitis.

When gum infection becomes serious and spreads to the jaw bone, and beyond it can only be treated and removed through surgery. Surgery that is performed on infected gums is known as periodontal surgery. It has the following purposes:

• Regrowth of infected jaw bone
• Prevent the teeth from coming off loose
• Fixi the gaps between gums also known as black triangles
• Removing existing bacteria and infection

Types of Periodontal Surgery

• There are few different types of periodontal surgeries. The dental surgeon will determine which type of surgery should be administered depending upon the severity and the extent to which the disease has spread. Before carrying out the surgery, the common practice is to deep clean the gums using the deep scaling procedure. It is done to remove bacteria and tartar from teeth and gums.

Now let us take a look at the different types of periodontal surgery that are commonly practiced by periodontists.

Flap surgery

• In this type of surgery, tartar deposits in deep pockets are removed. This is done by lifting gums off of the teeth so tartar buildup can be removed. Once the tartar has been removed, the surgeon will stitch the gums back to their original place around the teeth. To perform the surgery, sometimes the jaw bone has to be reshaped as well.

Bone grafting

• When gum infection grows, it destroys the jaw bone as well. To regrow the jaw bone, bone grafting surgery is performed. In this type of procedure, a piece of healthy bone is replaced at the site of the damaged bone. The new bone stimulates the growth of jaw bone which leads to the development of healthy gums providing space for dental implants to be anchored.

Guided Tissue Regeneration

• In this type of procedure, the tissues of the jawbone are stimulated by placing a small biodegradable mesh-like material between the jaw bone and the gum. The mesh-like material restricts the growth of the gum and prevents it from growing into the space of the bone. As a result, bone and connective tissue of the jaw grow and connect together.

Tissue Grafting

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  This procedure is performed to reverse the damage caused by gum line recession. Gumline recession, also known as lowered gum line, is a condition of the gums wherein the gum tissue is lost due to disease and infection. In tissue grafting, healthy tissues are taken from one part of the body and reattached to the receding gums. The donor tissue is often extracted from the palate of the patient. The healthy tissue stimulates the growth of the damaged gum line.

These are the four major types of periodontal surgeries that are performed by dental surgeons to treat gum issues. Laser therapy and tissue stimulating proteins are two other types of treatments that are being explored to treat periodontal issues. However, more research needs to be done on these methods.

If you are suffering from gum disease, get yourself checked earliest possible. The dentists at Icon Dental Center specialize in treating all kinds of diseases and offer multiple types of periodontal treatments.  Call us at 206-255-2882. We are located in Everett and Seattle.