PERIODONTAL SURGERY means that now surgery is needed to be able to reach and remove
the infected tissue by making an incision in the gums around the teeth and peeling the gums away from the bone to allow access
and visualization, and then treat the affected area with a combination of available techniques that may include removing infected
gum tissue, reshaping bone defects, grafting bone in some areas, antibiotics, etc... Usually the purpose of periodontal
surgery is to eliminate the pockets of gum tissue around the teeth to allow the patient to be able to clean adequately on
a daily basis.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER PERIODONTAL SURGERY ?
After all periodontal surgery and even
some non-surgical procedures such as scaling and root planing, the gums shrink making the teeth look longer.
The greater
the amount of inflammation present, the more the gums will shrink after the treatment. After the gums shrink, you may notice
dark spaces between the teeth at the gum line ( the gums used to fill these spaces before ).
Some of the root surfaces
may show, and when roots are exposed to cold, air, food, etc.there will be sensitivity. This sensitivity will slowly diminish
with time. If plaque is left on the roots it will increase the sensitivity. A toothpaste for sensitive teeth (Sensodyne®,
Denquel®, etc...) will reduce the sensitivity in cases where it does not go away completely.
One week after the surgery, the dressing covering the surgical site and the sutures
will both be removed; from then on you should try to keep the area clean by rubbing gently with a moistened Q-tip the neck
of the teeth where the tooth meets the gum. A toothbrush should not be used in the healing area until the gums feel stronger
to avoid hurting yourself.
After surgery, your teeth will get looser than before. This looseness is temporary
and in most cases the teeth tighten up again in two to three months. Occasionally an adjustment of the bite or splinting of
the teeth is needed. Splinting means fusing the teeth together with crowns (caps) or by using a technique called bonding.
The splinting allows the joined teeth to feel stronger than if they are left separate.
Surgical treatment is highly effective in controlling the progression of bone deterioration
and tooth loss. You can expect the result (healthy gums) to be maintained as long as you keep your teeth plaque-free and return
for regular maintenance (every three to six months) and monitoring.
Just because an area had surgery does not mean it will be trouble-free forever. If
you neglect to clean and maintain your mouth properly, the gums can get infected again and the disease process can reocur.
