Periodontal Pocket Reduction and Bone Graft Surgery

In the world of periodontal medicine, periodontitis is one of the most common and severe conditions a patient can experience. While it might start out fairly mild, and mean for relatively normal symptoms, as it advanced it can leave patients with severe bacterial infections, leading to the destruction of the bone and soft tissue surrounding the teeth. As a result, the gums can recede from the teeth and form pockets which collect bacteria and debris and can become infected. Ultimately if left untreated, there can be loss of teeth as the bone deteriorates. As a premiere periodontal pocket reduction specialist, Dr. David Malakov and his team regularly perform this procedure to help patients to reduce and eliminate these pockets in an effort to reduce the depth of pockets, and thus the chance that bacteria can do damage. In addition to the pocket reduction procedure, a periodontist may also recommend patients also undergo some from of bone graft surgery, as this will help to reduce the lost hard, bone tissue that may have degraded as a result. To better help patients understand some important aspects of such procedures, here are a few things to know.

· How Do You Know If You Need Pocket Reduction Surgery?

Generally, if you experience certain symptoms and signs it is likely you might be suffering from some form of periodontal gum disease. Some of the main signs include things like:

o Bad breath
o Loose teeth
o Metallic taste in the mouth
o Reddish, blue gums
o Bleeding gums, or while flossing or brushing.
o Swollen or recedinggums.
o Extra spaces between teeth.
o Altered bite

In most cases however, once you visit your periodontist, he or she will use a small measurement probe device, to gently measure the space between the tooth and the gums. A healthy depth measures three millimeters or less and does not bleed. If pockets are greater than 5 millimeters in depth, the periodontist would conduct pocket reduction surgery.

· What Is Pocket Reduction Surgery?

Pocket reduction surgery allows us to reduce the size of the pockets of bacteria that have developed over time as a result of your periodontitis. It is an in-office procedure and improvements in medications, local anesthesia, anxiety and pain control are available to make your treatment more pleasant and comfortable. In this procedure, we start by folding back the gums and removing all the bacteria. And once the procedure is completed, the gums are simply reattached to the teeth, sutured and closed. In some instances, however, you might need to add a gum graft or some form of a bone graft.

· Why Might Bone Graft Surgery Be Needed?

In many cases, the damage done to the mouth may be so severe, that patients can experience a fair amount of bone and tooth loss. Depending on the severity of the bone loss, the periodontist may also perform a bone graft or guided tissue regeneration before reattaching the gum tissue against your teeth. The length of time for the surgery will vary depending on the procedure and how many teeth are involved.

Once the procedure is completed it is important to follow the advice of your periodontist, for more information on any and all periodontal care issues be sure to contact DR. MALAKOV today.