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Pocket Depth Reduction Surgery

The gum tissue forms a collar around your teeth much like a turtleneck around your neck. The gums attach to the tooth, just above the bone levels, at the base of the collar. The distance from the top of the collar to the base makes a “pocket” around the tooth. When the gum tissues become inflamed, this supporting tissue and bone can be destroyed causing the attachment to migrate down the root. As the disease progresses, these pockets become deeper, providing a larger space for bacteria in plaque to live. As the bacteria in plaque advances under the gum tissue, it will become more difficult to remove with daily home oral hygiene and professional maintenance and result in further bone and tissue loss. Eventually, if too much bone is lost, the teeth will need to be extracted.

Pocket depth reduction surgery is needed when it is anticipated that the pockets may not respond to traditional non surgical therapy, or remain deep after the healing phase of non-surgical therapy. During this surgical procedure, the gum tissue is folded back to gain access to the pocket area enabling the removal of previously inaccessible bacterial plaque and calculus. The tissue is replaced at a location to reduce the pocket depth. In some cases, irregular surfaces of the damaged bone are smoothed to provide a level surface for tissue to be readapted.

Periodontal surgery will help reduce the pocket depths around the teeth. Shallow pockets allow you access to bacteria with daily oral hygiene and professional maintenance care. Successful daily oral hygiene and frequent professional maintenance care increases your chances of keeping your natural teeth.