Periodontal surgical therapy may be required if your gum disease has progressed dramatically and endangers the integrity of your teeth. At Miami Healthy Smiles, the team of skilled periodontists provides effective treatment therapies, including surgeries, to meet your specific needs. Not all patients are alike and, therefore, customized treatment to meet your needs and desires is the goal at Miami Healthy Smiles. Call the Miami office, or schedule online to learn about your options.
Surgical Treatment Q & A
When is surgery necessary to treat periodontal disease?
Periodontal, or gum, disease can cause tooth loss and cause extreme oral discomfort. When the disease cannot be managed with nonsurgical treatments, such as antibiotic therapy and deep cleaning, surgery may be the best option.
Surgery can help regenerate lost bone and reduce pockets that form between the gums and teeth where bacteria harbors and destroys the bone that holds your teeth. Surgery also reduces the pocketing to make it possible for more effective and better long term maintenance care.
What is an oral biopsy?
If you have suspicious tissue in your gums, cheeks, or tongue, your periodontist may remove a sample to have it tested at a lab. The lab can determine if the tissue requires further treatment.
What is a tissue graft?
Gum grafts may be used to treat receding gums which consequently cause bone loss and tooth root exposure. Your periodontist will acquire tissue from an appropriate site and apply this tissue (graft) to the area of concern to stabilize and help restore the health of your smile.
A bone graft may be required to improve the health of a tooth from which significant bone loss has occurred due to periodontal disease. A bone graft may also be used to prepare a site for future implant placement.
What is crown lengthening therapy?
When you need a restoration, your dentist may need your periodontist to prepare the site around the affected tooth in advance, so the prosthetic tooth fits and adheres well. Sometimes, however, you don’t have enough tooth surface above the gum line to properly prepare the tooth. Crown lengthening is a technique that provides more tooth surface, ensuring a more stable crown for long-term success and comfort. Crown lengthening can also make your smile appear less “gummy,” so you feel more confident.
What is osseous surgery?
Osseous surgery is a gum pocket reduction procedure. During the treatment, your periodontist removes infected gum and bone tissue and thoroughly clean areas where bacteria hide. The surgery promotes your gum health so the tissue can better reattach to the bone and facilitate better maintenance in the future, promoting a better prognosis.
What is a frenectomy?
A frenectomy is a minor surgical procedure during which one or several frena, or connective tissue membranes that attach the surfaces of your mouth, are removed. The lingual frenum connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth, the labial frenum attaches the lips to the gum above the top two teeth and below on the bottom two front teeth, and the buccal frenum are the thin strands of tissue that attach your gums and to the inside of the cheeks.
Children and babies occasionally need a frenectomy if this connective tissue is too tight to allow for proper nursing or eating. Irregular frena can also affect speech and swallowing. In adults, frenectomies are usually required when doing a gum graft.
For more about surgical gum procedures, call the office, or schedule an appointment online.
