Pocket Reduction Surgery

Your mouth contains dozens of different bacteria. That’s natural. However, when the bacteria and the food you eat form plaque and tartar on your teeth, this can lead to a serious gum infection known as periodontal disease.

When people have periodontal infections in their gums, they develop “pockets" between the gums and teeth. As periodontal disease gets worse these pockets become deeper, providing more space for the infection to grow below the gum line. This can cause bone and gum tissue loss. If too much bone is lost, you can lose your teeth.

You might think you can clean this at home yourself. However, as the gum pockets get deeper, they are much harder to clean with just a toothbrush and dental floss. If periodontal disease reaches the jawbone, the teeth can become loose and may have to be removed.

The good news is these deep pockets can be treated with pocket reduction. A dentist or an oral surgeon can measure the depth of your pockets to see if they need professional care.

Pocket reduction surgery (also known as flap surgery) is effective at eliminating bacteria, reducing inflammation and saving teeth.

During pocket reduction surgery, the dentist or oral surgeon makes tiny incisions in your gum, pulls back the gum tissue, exposes the roots, and removes the bacteria causing the infection.

Periodontitis can cause bone loss, so scaling and root planing may be needed to remove tartar from the surface of the root and smooth the damaged bone where bacteria can hide. Medication can also be injected to eliminate bacteria.

The gum is sutured up with small stitches that will dissolve in days. If a soft tissue laser is used to do the surgery, then no stitches will be needed and there is little, if any, bleeding.

Your gums and teeth may be sensitive after your pocket reduction surgery, but you will be given painkiller to manage the pain. You can also hold an ice pack against your mouth to help reduce any swelling from the procedure. Pocket reduction surgery can stop gum disease and improve the look of your smile. This is a procedure that you won’t regret having.

If you notice inflammation and pain in your gums, you should contact Dr. Molayem. You do not want to put this off because periodontal disease can cause serious problems. The sooner you get help, the better. Delaying treatment will mean more problems and more pain.