Periodontal Surgery

Periodontal Surgery is a general term that implies a surgical procedure involving the supporting structures of the teeth. Most often the term periodontal surgery is used to discribe the surgical treatment of periodontal disease. In the treatment of periodontal disease, the primary reason for periodontal surgery is to get visual access to see the root surface and bone support and to get mechanical access to remove the irritants (plaque and calculus) that are responsible for the periodontal disease. The secondary reason for periodontal surgery is to see if additional therapy would improve the health and maintainability of the periodontium and to treat the areas accordingly. These additional therapies may include, but not limited to, regenerative bone therapy, bone re contouring, root/tooth reshaping, root removal and/or gums repositioning. The final goal of periodontal surgery is to improve and/or stabilize the prognosis of the tooth/teeth.

Periodontal surgery is usually indicated when other forms of periodontal treatment, such as root planing and possibly antibiotic treatment, have not been successful in improving or stabilizing the conditions. Periodontal surgery does not ‘cure’ the disease. It provides better access to address the condition and hopefully allow better maintenance of the teeth to prevent further breakdown.