Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Osseous Surgery?PurposeHow to PrepareDay of SurgeryRecovery
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Osseous Surgery?
Purpose
How to Prepare
Day of Surgery
Recovery
Dental health is strongly linked to thehealth of our bodies overall. If you have gum disease, gum pocket reduction surgery can clear tartar from your mouth and prevent infection from spreading throughout your body.
As part of the procedure, your healthcare provider will perform osseous surgery to smooth irregularities in the jaw bone.Here’s what to expect from this oral surgery.
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Osseous surgery is part of an effective treatment plan againstperiodontal disease. Beyond removing cavities and pulling damaged teeth, gum pocket reduction surgery removes debris from the crevices that form as a result of gum disease. Cutting out the infected tissue keeps the rest of your mouth and body healthy.
Contraindications
Treating advanced gum disease is essential to prevent more dangerous issues from arising. If a patient is pregnant or has allergies to certain medications, additional precautions will need to be taken during oral surgery. Always let your healthcare provider know about yourfull medical historyto ensure your safety.
Potential Risks
Even if you have the most qualified dental surgeon, there’s always the possibility of complications. With osseous surgery, you should be aware of the following risks:
Purpose of Osseous Surgery
Osseous surgery improves the success of gum pocket reduction surgery for patients with advanced gum disease. When the bacteria from gum disease starts to infect areas of the bone, the infected area must be removed before it continues to spread.
It has been shown that poor gum health may be associated with other medical conditions, such as low-birth-weight preterm births in pregnant women and cardiovascular disease.
The sooner you’re able to treat the infected area, the less tissue will need to be removed. Takinggood care of your oral hygiene going forwardwill help prevent you from having the same surgery done again for other teeth.
Here’s what you can do to get ready for osseous surgery.
Location
A specialist, called a periodontist, will do your osseous surgery. You’ll need to go to their office for the operation.
What to Wear
Wear comfortable clothes for surgery that you don’t mind getting stained. Your chest will be covered with a smock during the surgery, but it’s still possible to get some splatters of blood or fluid on your clothing during the procedure.
Food and Drink
There’s no need to limit your food or drink intake prior to osseous surgery since you’ll be given a local anesthetic. If your surgery is more extensive and will be performed under general anesthesia, your healthcare provider will provide you with more detailed instructions on when to begin fasting.
Make your healthcare provider aware of all your medications to avoid potential complications during surgery.
What to Bring
Since you’ll be heading home from surgery as soon as it’s over, you won’t need to bring a lot of stuff with you. Bring any necessary paperwork, dental insurance information, and personal identification. Arrange for someone to drive you home after the surgery, as you’ll need some time to get your bearings as the pain medication wears off.
What to Expect on the Day of Surgery
As you’re heading in for osseous surgery, here’s what you can expect on the day of your procedure.
Before the Surgery
You’ll have a thorough dental cleaning before osseous surgery is performed. Arrive at your appointment on time to fill out any last-minute paperwork.
During the Surgery
A periodontal specialist will numb the infected area with a local anesthetic and begin cutting around the teeth. Once the bone and roots are accessible, the area will be cleaned through scaling.Using hand tools and a drill, your healthcare provider will cut into the bones around the teeth to perform osseous surgery to create a smoother and more uniform shape.
If the bone is severely infected, your healthcare provider may perform a bone graft. A bone graft will help your body rebuild bone in areas where it has deteriorated to help maintain the shape and structure of the jaw.
After your healthcare provider finishes removing the infected tissue, the gums are pulled back over the bone and sutured together. Your practitioner will bandage the area to keep it covered as it begins to heal.
After the Surgery
Avoid smoking or drinking alcohol for at least the first seven days after osseous surgery to give your mouth the best chance at recovery.If you wear dentures, talk to your healthcare provider about when you should place them back in.
You’ll be required to visit the periodontist within seven to 10 days after your surgery to check on healing and get stitches removed. You should feel fully healed in about two to four weeks.
Healing
Some swelling and bleeding are normal following oral surgery. You’ll be provided with aftercare instructions including pain medication to ease discomfort andmouth rinsesto keep the area clean. You may also be prescribed antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection. Using an icepack will help control swelling and numb the area.
Coping With Recovery
Putting extra pillows on your bed will let you keep your head elevated above your heart. This can reduce swelling and help you feel better faster. When bleeding starts, bite down a piece of gauze to apply pressure and stop the bleeding.
Stock up on soft foods to enjoy after your surgery. You’ll need to avoid hard or sticky foods and carbonated beverages. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and don’t use a straw until your mouth has fully healed.
Possible Future Surgeries
If your advanced gum disease has spread to other sections of your mouth, it’s possible that you’ll need to have osseous surgery again for another tooth, or you may require adental implant.
Maintaining regular follow-up visits and staying diligent about your dental health at home will help prevent you from having to continue to require surgical intervention. Scaling and root planing may be used to control advanced gum disease before it gets to the point of surgery in other teeth.
Lifestyle Adjustments
In addition to cleaning your teeth and flossing, changing your eating habits can help improve your dental health. Optimal nutrition for dental health includes foods that are high in minerals, like calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin C from fruits and vegetables will help keep your gums in good shape.
Frequent snacking, especially on sugary and sticky foods, attracts bacteria and promotes cavities. Remember to brush after eating sweets and drink plenty of water to help keep sugar from sitting on your teeth and gums.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dentaldiseases.org.Pocket depth reduction - periodontal (gum flap) surgery.Periodontal Disease Treatment.What is periodontal osseous surgery? Risks? Costs? Care?Leal ASM, de Oliveira AEF, Brito LMO, et al.Association between chronic apical periodontitis and low-birth-weight preterm births.Journal of Endodontics. 2015;41(3):353-357. doi:10.1016/j.joen.2014.11.018Sanz M, Marco del Castillo A, Jepsen S, et al.Periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases: Consensus report.J Clinic Periodontology. 2020;47(3):268-288. doi:10.1111/jcpe.13189Periodontal Medicine, Dental Surgical Specialists, LLC.Osseous surgery - a solution.American Dental Association Mouth Healthy.Scaling and root planing.Periodontal Medicine, Dental Surgical Specialists LLC.Bone grafting opens the door for dental implants.Midtown Dentistry.Postoperative instructions.Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.Eat right for a healthy mouth and teeth.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dentaldiseases.org.Pocket depth reduction - periodontal (gum flap) surgery.Periodontal Disease Treatment.What is periodontal osseous surgery? Risks? Costs? Care?Leal ASM, de Oliveira AEF, Brito LMO, et al.Association between chronic apical periodontitis and low-birth-weight preterm births.Journal of Endodontics. 2015;41(3):353-357. doi:10.1016/j.joen.2014.11.018Sanz M, Marco del Castillo A, Jepsen S, et al.Periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases: Consensus report.J Clinic Periodontology. 2020;47(3):268-288. doi:10.1111/jcpe.13189Periodontal Medicine, Dental Surgical Specialists, LLC.Osseous surgery - a solution.American Dental Association Mouth Healthy.Scaling and root planing.Periodontal Medicine, Dental Surgical Specialists LLC.Bone grafting opens the door for dental implants.Midtown Dentistry.Postoperative instructions.Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.Eat right for a healthy mouth and teeth.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Dentaldiseases.org.Pocket depth reduction - periodontal (gum flap) surgery.Periodontal Disease Treatment.What is periodontal osseous surgery? Risks? Costs? Care?Leal ASM, de Oliveira AEF, Brito LMO, et al.Association between chronic apical periodontitis and low-birth-weight preterm births.Journal of Endodontics. 2015;41(3):353-357. doi:10.1016/j.joen.2014.11.018Sanz M, Marco del Castillo A, Jepsen S, et al.Periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases: Consensus report.J Clinic Periodontology. 2020;47(3):268-288. doi:10.1111/jcpe.13189Periodontal Medicine, Dental Surgical Specialists, LLC.Osseous surgery - a solution.American Dental Association Mouth Healthy.Scaling and root planing.Periodontal Medicine, Dental Surgical Specialists LLC.Bone grafting opens the door for dental implants.Midtown Dentistry.Postoperative instructions.Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.Eat right for a healthy mouth and teeth.
Dentaldiseases.org.Pocket depth reduction - periodontal (gum flap) surgery.
Periodontal Disease Treatment.What is periodontal osseous surgery? Risks? Costs? Care?
Leal ASM, de Oliveira AEF, Brito LMO, et al.Association between chronic apical periodontitis and low-birth-weight preterm births.Journal of Endodontics. 2015;41(3):353-357. doi:10.1016/j.joen.2014.11.018
Sanz M, Marco del Castillo A, Jepsen S, et al.Periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases: Consensus report.J Clinic Periodontology. 2020;47(3):268-288. doi:10.1111/jcpe.13189
Periodontal Medicine, Dental Surgical Specialists, LLC.Osseous surgery - a solution.
American Dental Association Mouth Healthy.Scaling and root planing.
Periodontal Medicine, Dental Surgical Specialists LLC.Bone grafting opens the door for dental implants.
Midtown Dentistry.Postoperative instructions.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.Eat right for a healthy mouth and teeth.
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