When Gum Disease Surgery from a Periodontist Is Needed

Enlisting the services of a periodontist is a good idea if you have gum pain and other symptoms of gum disease. For minor and moderate gum disease, improving your oral hygiene may be enough to correct the problem. As the disease progresses, other techniques such as planing and scaling can treat the effects. In the most severe instances, you may need surgery. It is helpful to know when this is the right option.

How a patient knows they have periodontal disease

Ordinarily, it should not be a surprise that a person has gum disease. There are signs that point to this condition. One of the most prevalent is that the gums will be swollen and look puffy. The gums may turn bright red and even bleed during brushing or eating. A person with gum disease may have bad breath. There could even be gum pain and tender gums.

Typical surgeries that a periodontist may perform to treat gum disease

Surgery is reserved for the most serious cases of periodontitis. These procedures are meant to restore the health and function of the gums and to prevent bone loss. One surgery is a bone graft. Here, the periodontist will take bone from elsewhere in the body or use artificial bone to build up the jaw. When gums have receded significantly and when the disease has destroyed the gums, a tissue graft may be helpful.

Flap surgery is another option. Here, incisions are made in the gum, allowing the periodontist to pull back the gums to clean the roots of the teeth. Other procedures help stimulate tissue regrowth. This is typical when there has been bone loss.

The gums have pulled away from the teeth

A patient will likely need surgery from the periodontist when there has been widespread recession. When this occurs, the gums start to pull away from the tooth structure. This puts the patient at risk of losing teeth. It can also make the patient prone to developing an infection. In this scenario, pockets form between the teeth, which can fill with bacteria. Surgery can restore the gums to their rightful place.

When there is bone loss

If a patient has started to lose jawbone, more effective brushing and flossing will not be enough. Planing and scaling, too, cannot stop this process. Only surgery from a periodontist in this situation can halt bone loss and start the process of regrowing it. If there is significant bone loss, a graft or transplant may be necessary to give the patient healthy jawbone again.