Osseous Surgery
What is osseous surgery?
Osseous surgery is an aggressive periodontal treatment used to combat gum disease and create oral health conditions increasing the effectiveness of oral hygiene.
Bad breath, bleeding gums, and tartar buildup are all the tell-tale signs of gum disease. These symptoms can lead to irreversible damage to your gums and can destroy the structures that hold your teeth in place. Gum disease is a chronic disease that spreads far beneath what you can see with the naked eye, however, this cannot be controlled without a team of periodontic professionals. When the deep cleaning (also known as scaling and root planning) provided by your periodontist is not enough to ward off gum disease, you may need a more aggressive treatment like osseous surgery.
This type of procedure reduces pockets of bacteria within the gums that can cause an infection so severe that it will damage the bone around the teeth. Ultimately, this will lead to the loss of your teeth. Osseous surgery is preventative procedure intended to keep that happening.
How is osseous surgery performed?
Osseous surgery effectively eliminates defects and irregularities of the bone in order reduce deep pockets and simplify oral hygiene. In a sophisticated same-day procedure, board-certified periodontist, Dr. Donald Steinberg, will use local anesthetics to numb the gum tissue. After the numbing takes effect, the gum tissue will be gently pulled away from the teeth and the area will be cleaned thoroughly to remove diseased tissue and tartar buildup. The damaged surface of the bone will be smoothed and recontoured, and the gum tissue will be repositioned. If defects are present, bone grafting may be necessary as well. Sutures will be used to stabilize the tissues as they heal.
What are some of the benefits of osseous surgery?
Osseous surgery levels the irregularities and promotes an even bone height and gum line. Osseous surgery can also enhance the effectiveness of your oral hygiene and other oral health care routines and procedures. Because Dr. Donald Steinberg can reduce deep pockets around your teeth, you can be more thorough in removing toxic plaque and bacteria from the surfaces surrounding each tooth. You will also be more confident in your oral health because you will know that there are no inaccessible pockets to harbor toxic bacteria that may continue to cause damage to your oral and overall health.
How do I care for my gums after osseous surgery?
As with all surgical procedures, please follow all of Dr. Steinberg’s post-surgical instructions carefully in order to experience optimal healing and results. If you experience excessive bleeding and/ or pain, or if you have any other concerns, please call our office. After osseous surgery, it is important to continue to maintain proper oral hygiene and continue with all recommended dental and oral health care visits. Your dentist and your periodontist, Dr. Donald Steinberg, will need to track the changes in your gum tissue, tooth health and watch for any signs of tooth decay so as to prevent any additional and expensive procedures that may be required.