Treatment of Periodontal Disease

If you have advanced periodontitis, your gum tissue may not respond to nonsurgical treatments. In that case, periodontitis treatment may require dental surgery, such as:

• Flap Surgery (Pocket Reduction Surgery): With flap surgery, your periodontist makes tiny incisions in your gum so that a section of gum tissue can be lifted back, exposing the roots for more effective scaling and root planing. Because periodontitis often causes bone loss, the underlying bone may be re-contoured before the gum tissue is sutured back in place. After you heal, it’s easier to clean these areas and maintain healthy gum tissue.
• Soft Tissue Graft: When you lose gum tissue to periodontal disease, your gumline recedes. You may need to have some of the damaged soft tissue reinforced. This is usually done by removing a small amount of tissue from the roof of your mouth (palate) or another donor source and then attaching it to the affected site. This procedure can help reduce further gum recession, cover exposed roots and give your teeth a more pleasing appearance.
• Bone Grafting: This procedure is performed when periodontitis has destroyed the bone surrounding your tooth root. The graft may be composed of small fragments of your own bone, or the bone may be synthetic or donated. The bone graft helps prevent tooth loss by holding your tooth in place. It also serves as a platform for the regrowth of natural bone.
• Guided Tissue Regeneration: This allows the regrowth of bone that was destroyed by bacteria. In one approach, your periodontist places a special piece of bio-compatible fabric between existing bone and your tooth. The material prevents unwanted tissue from entering the healing area, thus allowing the bone to grow back instead.
• Enamel Matrix Derivative Application: This technique involves applying a special gel to a diseased tooth root. This gel contains the same proteins found in developing tooth enamel and stimulates the growth of healthy bone and tissue