Periodontal surgery is an advanced treatment often prescribed for severe cases of periodontal gum disease. Did you know there are three different types of periodontal surgery? Periodontal surgery comprises several sophisticated procedures. The three primary classifications are gingival flap surgery, mucogingival surgery, and osseous surgery.
Discover the different types of gum surgery we offer at our dental practice.
1. Gingival Flap Surgery
The first type of periodontal surgery is gingival flap surgery, which most patients pertain to as gum lift surgery. Gum lift surgery recontours the gums in order to improve the appearance of the smile. It includes gingivoplasty and gingivectomy. Dentists often refer to these procedures interchangeably because they are basically the same procedure – but with different objectives.
With a gingivoplasty, we recontour the gum tissue to eliminate diseased soft tissue from the wall of a periodontal pocket. Gingivectomy, on the other hand, is done to re-contour gingiva that has lost its normal form. It involves removal not just of the diseased tissue, but the entire portion of the gum tissue. We often perform this procedure to correct a gummy smile, remove excess tissue from enlarged gums (i.e. gingival hyperplasia), or lengthen the crown of a tooth that will receive a restoration.
2. Mucogingival Surgery
Mucogingival surgery is a more complicated type of periodontal surgery. Dentists typically use this type of surgery for advanced periodontal gum disease, particularly when denuded root surfaces need coverage. We also recommend this procedure for removable denture patients mainly to deepen the oral vestibule and relocate free. The oral vestibule is the space bounded by the lip/cheeks and teeth. While frena (singular: frenum) is a small band of tissue in the lip and cheek area. A good example would be the maxillary labial frenum found underneath your upper lip. Above where the two upper central incisors meet. Increasing the depth of the oral vestibule will help improve retention of the removable denture. Relocating frena prevents dislodgement of the prosthesis.
Mucogingival is further divided into several techniques. These include the apically-repositioned flap, replaced flap, laterally-repositioned flap, free gingival graft, and frenum repositioning.
3. Osseous Surgery
Lastly, osseous surgery, like mucogingival surgery, is a form of advanced periodontal disease treatment that focuses on the management of the destruction caused by periodontal gum disease. As the name suggests, it involves the manipulation of the bone tissue, particularly reshaping or restoring its ideal form. This is based on the assumption that resolution of periodontal gum disease will occur if the bone and gums have the same contour.
Osseous surgery also has subtypes, namely bone reshaping/resectioning procedures and bone stimulative procedures. Bone reshaping procedures include osteotomy and ostectomy correct bone defects and create normal bone contours. Osteotomy reshapes without the need to remove the bone. On the other hand, ostectomy requires the removal of some bone.
Bone stimulative surgeries, meanwhile, include bone grafts and implantation procedures. They help stimulate the body’s natural healing process to repair bone defects. They also bring the bone back to its normal state.
An Alternative To Periodontal Surgery: Chao Pinhole Surgery Technique
If you only have receding gums, you have more than one periodontal surgery treatment option available to you. At Irresistible Smiles, we offer an alternative surgery known as Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique. The unique technique is an alternative method for bone and tissue grafts and pocket reduction. The procedure is minimally invasive and uses a small needle to prick a hole and a special instrument to move the gum tissue. It provides similar results as a gum graft but without the need for sutures, lengthy recovery, or pain.
Schedule a consultation to find out if this alternative treatment is right for you.
Am I a Candidate for Periodontal Surgery?
Not everyone requires gum surgery. Dentists usually only recommend gum surgery in the case of severe periodontal disease or to enhance smile aesthetics. Common reasons patients might need periodontal surgery include the following symptoms:
- Receding gums
- Gummy smile
- Swollen, bleeding, or red gums
- Deep pockets between the teeth and gums
- Loose teeth
- Pain when chewing
- Bad breath
Getting periodontal surgery can help restore your gums back to health and prevent gum disease from spreading the infection to the rest of your body. Without gum disease treatment, the disease can result in harmful health consequences, in men and periodontal gum disease in women.
Restoring your gums back to health can prevent tooth loss and even help you become a good candidate for dental implants. If you’re getting periodontal surgery for aesthetic reasons, you can look forward to increased confidence in your smile!
Get Periodontal Surgery in San Diego
Periodontal surgery, like any other dental surgical procedure, must be performed by a dentist. Our dentists have completed advanced training in periodontal surgery to ensure our patients achieve the best results possible. If you need periodontal surgery, make sure to go only to a trusted dentist like Dr. Safarian who has lots of experience, particularly in gum lift surgeries.
Give our San Diego dentist a call to book an appointment today by calling (619) 656-6785.