Osseous Surgery
Periodontal or gum disease is the inflammation of the gums caused by a build-up of bacterial plaque in the mouth. Mild to moderate cases of gum inflammation can be treated using non-surgical methods such as scaling and root planing. If periodontal disease is left untreated to the point of significant bone loss, surgical intervention may be required. Osseous surgery refers to the surgical recontouring of jawbone to restore your mouth after an episode of severe periodontal disease.
A Timeline of Gum or Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease develops over time, and often in an environment of poor dental hygiene. If you don’t brush and floss your teeth daily, you’re encouraging the growth of gum disease. Below is what happens when you don’t observe proper oral care:
- Food debris accumulates in your mouth
- Bacteria breaks down the food debris, leading to the formation of plaque
- Over time, plaque hardens to tartar
- Bacteria continue to thrive in this environment of plaque leading to the breakdown of your teeth and gums
Depending on the stage of periodontal disease that you’re in, you may experience pain, bleeding of gums, bad breath, and tooth loss.
What Happens During Osseous Surgery?
During surgery, our dentist will make a small incision in your gum tissue to access your jawbone and tooth roots. After that, the dentist will gently scrape off plaque and tartar deposits from the exposed bone and tooth roots. Severe cases of bone loss may require a bone graft. Finally, the dental surgeon will carefully suture the gum tissue back together.
Anesthesia is required during osseous surgery. The length of time needed for this type of surgery is dependent on the complexity of individual cases. Before surgery starts, our dentist will give you an estimate of how long your particular case will take.
While osseous surgery may sound daunting to many, KK Dental has taken adequate steps to ensure the comfort of our patients. Not only are our dentists highly experienced in this type of surgery, but our entire dental team is happy and always ready to respond to all your concerns as well as provide any support that you may need.
Benefits of Osseous Surgery
Osseous surgery increases your chances of making a full recovery from periodontal disease. In extremely severe cases of gum disease, scaling and root planing may not always be effective. Osseous surgery gets to the root cause of periodontal disease and reduces the pockets of inflammation as well as eliminating harmful bacteria.
Is periodontal disease making you give up on your teeth? Are you worried that you’ll never experience healthy teeth and gums again? KK Dental offers you and your teeth a new lease of life in an environment that’s warm, safe, and supportive. Talk to us today.
FAQs
Deep cleaning may help reduce bacteria and inflammation, but some periodontal pockets may remain too deep to clean effectively with daily home care alone. In certain cases, infection can continue affecting the gums and supporting bone despite non-surgical treatment.
Osseous surgery helps access bacteria and infected tissue beneath the gums that routine cleaning methods cannot reach. The procedure may also reduce deep periodontal pockets and, when needed, reshape damaged bone around the teeth.
Progressive periodontal disease may cause spaces between the gums and teeth to deepen, creating areas where bacteria can collect. These areas may become increasingly difficult to clean effectively through brushing, flossing, and routine dental cleanings alone.
Yes, an ongoing periodontal infection may gradually damage the bone and tissues supporting the teeth. If the disease continues progressing, tooth looseness, gum recession, and eventual tooth loss may occur.
Dental imaging helps evaluate bone loss, root anatomy, pocket depth, and the condition of surrounding tissues before surgery begins. This information helps the dentist or periodontist determine the most appropriate surgical approach.
Yes, smoking may interfere with blood flow and slow healing within the gums and supporting tissues after surgery. Tobacco use may also increase the risk of infection, delayed healing, and ongoing gum inflammation during recovery.
Even after surgery, bacteria and plaque can continue collecting around the teeth and beneath the gums over time. Regular periodontal maintenance visits help monitor healing, reduce bacterial buildup, and support long-term periodontal health after treatment.
In some situations, the gums may appear lower after healing because swelling and deep pocketing have been reduced. This may make more of the tooth surface visible as the gums heal and tighten around the teeth.
Daily brushing, flossing, and ongoing periodontal maintenance remain important after surgery, as gum disease can return if bacterial buildup persists beneath the gums. Long-term periodontal stability depends heavily on consistent oral hygiene and follow-up care.
An osseous surgery evaluation may be recommended if you have deep periodontal pockets, bone loss, bleeding gums, gum infection, or ongoing periodontal disease that has not responded fully to non-surgical treatment. At KK Dental, treatment recommendations are based on periodontal examination findings, dental imaging, and the long-term health of the gums and supporting bone.
