Osseous Surgery
Osseous Surgery versus Scaling & Root Planing
When a person has gum disease, gum tissue and bone is destroyed. Gum tissue will pull away from the teeth, leaving deep pockets/spaces around the teeth. This can cause harmful bacteria to get trapped underneath the gum tissue.
While scaling and root planing can remove bacteria and calculus trapped underneath your gums, in more serious cases of gum disease, it may not be enough. If this is the case, bone loss has likely occurred and your periodontist may recommend that you undergo osseous surgery.
Osseous/Flap Surgery
Osseous surgery is also called flap surgery because it involves accessing the bone through a flap made in the gum tissue. The treatment reduces the pocket depth surrounding the teeth and can be performed on a single or multiple sections of the mouth in a single visit.
When people have gum disease, they can develop holes in the bone that holds their teeth in place. This is caused by trapped bacteria. The bacteria eats away at the bone making holes. These holes are called defects.
Osseous surgery reshapes the bone to remove the defects and can be used to treat bone loss around your teeth. It also removes the disease-causing bacteria that are trapped around the bone that supports the teeth. Following the procedure, the gum and bone will heal on its own. This procedure is used to treat bone loss around multiple teeth.
Osseous surgery has a history of being one of the most effective periodontal surgical treatments to directly access the diseased bone and root, eliminate infection, reduce pocket depth, and set the foundation for great periodontal health.
What to expect during the procedure
The periodontist will make a small cut into the gum tissue surrounding your teeth. This separates it from the tooth and the bone underneath and allows direct access to the area.
A hand instrument or powered hand piece is then used to clean and remove disease-causing bacteria from the root surface. The uneven bone surface is then smoothed which helps the body repair the site.
Sometimes a bone graft is placed (see bone grafting) in order to help the bone and soft tissue repair.
Once the roots have been cleaned and the bone is reshaped, the gums are trimmed to match the new structure underneath them. It is stitched back together.
The gums are now able to reattach to bacteria-free bone.
Risks
Like any surgery, there is a risk of developing infection. Bleeding and swelling is also common after the procedure.
The gums surrounding the area that were treated are also more likely to recede over time. This means that the gums have pulled away from the tooth, exposing more of the tooth and its root. This makes teeth look longer than normal. Because more of the tooth root is exposed, the treated area is also likely to become more sensitive to hot and cold temperatures.
If the teeth are not taken care of properly with good oral hygiene practices, there is a possibility of developing cavities in the tooth root.
