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Osseous Surgery: What Is It & Why Should I Care

By April 12, 2021December 1st, 2022No Comments
Osseous Surgery

Dental health is important for your overall health. Different types of oral diseases are either caused by bad oral hygiene or other factors like misaligned teeth. Some of those diseases include cavities, tooth decay, and gum diseases.

Gum disease is one of the common oral diseases, and it can either come as gingivitis or a progressed one called periodontal disease. Normally, there is usually a 1-3 mm gap or pocket between your teeth and gums at the base.

However, gum diseases cause that gap or pocket to increase to more than 5mm. That increase in the gap will make it easy for food particles to get stuck between them. It also becomes hard for you to clean them and remove those food particles.

Therefore, that could lead to not only tartar and plaque buildup but could also cause there to be bacteria in your mouth, which could lead to other dental diseases.

When the pockets become deeper, more food particles get stuck, meaning more bacteria, which could even affect the root of your teeth or bone, which could eventually cause tooth loss. When you notice pockets forming in your gums, you should consider an osseous surgery.

Some other symptoms that should alert you that it is time for the osseous surgery include;

The surgery is meant to reduce the pockets and remove any build-up in them. It can be used to treat gingivitis and periodontal disease. Some of the things that the surgery does include;

  • Remove tartar, plaque, and bacteria under your gums.
  • Reshape the bones supporting your teeth.
  • Make it easier for you to clean your teeth.
  • Prevent the occurrence of future gum disease.

How To Prepare For Osseous Surgery

Before you go for your osseous surgery, there are things that you have to do to prepare yourself for the surgery to get the best results. First, your dentist will ask you to avoid taking any blood-thinning medication like aspirin.

That will prevent excessive bleeding during the surgery and help the blood clot faster after the surgery. You should also not drink alcohol or smoke 24 hours before the surgery.

Ensure to also wear comfortable clothing and those that will not be easy to stain because some blood splatter might occur during the procedure. Ensure that you have someone to bring you back home after the procedure in case the anesthesia will still be in effect.

Osseous Surgery Procedure

The osseous surgery procedure is done in the dentist’s office, and it only takes one visit to get the desired result. However, if you have several affected teeth, you can have several sessions to ensure that all the teeth are treated maximally.

The dentist will first examine you to determine your general health and your previous medical history.

That helps them determine the extent of your gum disease and if you are a good candidate for the surgery. First, the dentist will administer anesthesia. Then they will clean your teeth to remove any dirt on the teeth surface.

The dentist then makes an incision on your gums and folds the gum back to reach any tartar, plaque, and other debris stuck in the pockets, and the roots are also smoothed. Afterward, the excess gum flesh is removed and then stitched back in place.

The dentist then smoothens out any place that is irregularly shaped or damaged. That allows there not to be any excess flesh on your gums and no chances of there being gum pockets.

This procedure helps you regain your natural dental look and makes it easier for you to clean your teeth. If the gum disease has spread further and may have reached your roots, some additional dental procedures may be done, including;

Scaling and root planing
This is done if the pockets have caused the food and tartar build-up to spread to your roots. When the incisions are made in your gum to expose the roots, scaling and root planing are done to offer a deep clean to remove that build-up in the roots.

It also helps smooth any parts of your roots that may have been exposed.

Bone grafting
If the gum disease has spread past your roots and has reached the bones under and around your teeth, a bone graft is recommended. The bone graft is used to replace the damaged bone around your tooth.

The bone to be used in the grafting can come from a small part of your body, a donated or synthetic bone. The graft helps prevent tooth loss and also promotes the growth of new natural bones. Bone grafting can be done alone or in conjunction with osseous surgery.

Guided tissue regeneration
This procedure is also done if the gum disease has spread to your bone. It is done to help regrow the bone damaged by the gum disease. The dentist inserts a special fabric between your tooth and the affected bone, and the bone regenerates without the interference of any tissues.

Soft tissue graft
Sometimes, gum disease causes gum recession. Soft tissue graft procedure uses a small piece of skin taken from the roof of your mouth. That skin is used to cover the gum.

If your gum disease is mild and the gum pockets have not spread, the dentist will recommend antibiotics to help fight bacteria in your gums.

Osseous Surgery Recovery

The total recovery time of your surgery depends on the extent of surgery done, depending on your gum disease level. However, you can go back to your daily activities after a few days or weeks.

For the first few days after the surgery, ensure you change your gauze frequently to avoid any bacteria buildup. Your dentist will also give you some precautions you should take to help with the recovery procedure. Some of them include;

  • Avoid smoking because it slows down the healing process.
  • Do not take alcohol for the first seven days after the surgery.
  • Use a special mouth wash to help kill any bacteria at the surgery site.
  • Do not brush or floss the surgical area until it is fully healed to prevent it from bleeding.
  • Do not use a straw until you have fully recovered.
  • Eat only soft foods like Jell-O, scrambled eggs, yogurt, pudding, mashed potatoes, smoothies, and pasta.
  • Avoid hot or too cold drinks.
  • Avoid strenuous physical activities.

You must visit your dentist one week after the surgery to examine the healing process and remove the stitches.

Osseous Surgery Side Effects

After the osseous surgery, there are some side effects you will have before you fully recover. You may experience swelling, bleeding, and increases sensitivity in the surgical site. You might also experience some pain and discomfort for a few days after the procedure.

Your dentist will recommend some medications to help you with the pain and swelling. You can also prevent the swelling by using a cold compress on the outer side of the surgical area. You need to heal your head elevated when you sleep, and for that, you can add an extra pillow.

Anytime you experience bleeding, bite on a piece of gauze and exert pressure until the bleeding stops.

Price

There are different prices for osseous surgery. The cost depends on the dentist you choose, the number of teeth affected, and the type of procedure done. Some insurance companies can help you pay for part of the surgery.

How To Prevent Future Gum Disease

After your osseous surgery, ensure to brush and floss your teeth regularly to prevent further gum disease occurrences. You also have to regularly visit your dentist for checkups and regular professional teeth cleaning.

That will help remove any food particles, tartar, and plaque buildup before they spread and cause severe gum disease. Also, you have a balanced diet with the right nutrients and those rich in calcium.

For the best results of your osseous surgery, you need the best dentist. At Imagine Dental, we have the best dentists with the best knowledge and skills. Our dentists have been in the field for a long time; therefore, they have a lot of osseous surgery experience.

We are dedicated to helping you deal with any dental health issues you have and restore your naturally beautiful smile. We also advise you on some of the things you can do to prevent any future occurrence of dental health issues.

Imagine Dental

The Imagine Dental team of professionals have decades of combined experience between them, they understand that people go to a dentist because they need to, not necessarily because they want to. With that in mind, our team of specialists try to make sure every procedure is as pain free and as quick as possible.

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