Surgical Gum Therapy
Our Ottawa dentists perform surgical gum therapy for patients with moderate to severe gum disease (periodontitis).
What is Gum Disease?
Gum disease is an inflammation of the gum line that can progress to affect the bone that surrounds and supports your teeth. The three stages of gum disease — from least to most severe — are gingivitis, periodontitis and advanced periodontitis.
Surgical Gum Therapy
For patients with more advanced forms of gum disease, surgical treatments may be necessary.
If gum disease has progressed to moderate to advanced stages, your dentist may recommend one of the following procedures.
Gingival Flap Surgery
This procedure helps to to remove tartar, plaque and biofilm buildup below the gums.
Gingivectomy
This procedure helps to remove excess gum tissue that may be overgrown on the teeth to provide a better area to clean the teeth.
Gingivoplasty
This procedure helps to reshape healthy gum tissue around the teeth where gum recession has occurred.
Non-Surgical Gum Therapy
For patients with a mild form of gum disease, non-surgical gum therapy may be sufficient to reverse it. Non-surgical gum therapy is essentially a deep cleaning of the gums.
Your dental hygienist will scrape away plaque and tartar around and below the gum line, and smooth out any rough areas left behind through a process called scaling and root planing.