Periodontal Surgery
Gingivectomy
When a patient’s periodontal disease is so advanced that scaling and root planing are ineffective, a gingivectomy is recommended. A gingivectomy is a surgical procedure where the infected, inflamed gums are reduced and reshaped in order to shrink the bacteria-infested pockets that have been created around the teeth.
What are the steps in a gingivectomy?
- A local anesthetic will be applied to the surgical site.
- Very small incisions will be made in the infected gums, and excess tissue will be removed.
- After the excess gum tissue has been trimmed and removed, a putty-like material is placed over the gums to protect them as they heal.
What should I do after the gingivectomy?
While the putty is still on your gums, we advise that you only eat soft foods and drink cold and lukewarm liquids. It’s very important to keep your mouth clean and to not irritate the surgical area with tooth brushing or flossing. You may brush and floss the teeth that were not operated on. In a few weeks, your gums will have healed enough where you can resume light brushing and flossing.
Gum Sculpting and Contouring
As one of many specialty procedures performed by our office, gum sculpting and contouring is a long-lasting restorative process utilized to help patients regain a beautiful smile and to allow them to eat and speak with comfort and confidence.
Gum sculpting and contouring is a simple surgical procedure where the position of the gum around a tooth is adjusted to expose more of the tooth structure. If a tooth is decayed, broken below the gumline or has insufficient crown height, there might not be enough tooth structure available to accommodate restoration procedures, such as a crown or bridge. In these instances, gum sculpting and contouring may be necessary in order to provide more tooth structure for your dentist to work with.
For the patient’s comfort, a local anesthetic is used to numb the surgical area. Typically, little to no discomfort is felt as your dentist reshapes the gum and bone tissue to expose more structure of the damaged tooth. Following the procedure, the treated area may be a little tender, sore or swollen; painkillers and antibiotics may be prescribed to help relieve discomfort and prevent infection from occurring.
In most cases, recovery time after gum sculpting and contouring is minimal, and patients can resume their normal routines the day after surgery.