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Oral Health Made Simple: Your Prescription For Knowledge
 PREVENT PROBLEMS
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 CONDITIONS
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Step 1 Prevent ProblemsSimplestepsPrevent Problems
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Back to Bone Surgery
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Osseous Surgery

space placeholder.space placeholder
space placeholder.What Is It?.
space placeholder.What It's Used For.
space placeholder.Preparation.
space placeholder.How It's Done.
space placeholder.Follow-Up.
space placeholder.Risks.
space placeholder.When To Call a Professional.
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space placeholder.What Is It?
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Osseous surgery is a procedure that reshapes the bone that holds a tooth or teeth in place.

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space placeholder.What It's Used For
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Osseous surgery is a treatment for the gum disease called periodontitis. People with periodontitis develop holes called defects in the bone surrounding their teeth. Osseous surgery reshapes the bone to get rid of the defects. This procedure is often used to treat bone loss around multiple teeth.

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space placeholder.Preparation
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You need to undergo initial periodontal therapy (scaling and root planing) before your surgical appointment. You also must have a good level of oral hygiene. A local anesthetic is used to numb the area for surgery.
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space placeholder.How It's Done
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The periodontist will separate the gums from your teeth to gain access to the roots and surrounding bone. After the roots have been thoroughly cleaned, a drill (similar to the one used to treat dental decay) and sharp hand instruments are used to reshape the bone around the teeth. Bone is removed in certain areas to restore the normal rise and fall of the bony cup, but at a lower level. Imagine that you have a scarf that has frayed along one edge and you decide to trim off the frayed part. The damage is gone, but the scarf is shorter. The gums are then placed back over the remaining bone and stitched in place.
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space placeholder.Follow-Up
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Pain medications may be prescribed to ease discomfort after surgery.

It is very important for you to keep your mouth as clean as possible while the surgical site is healing. This means you should brush and floss the rest of your mouth normally. If the surgical site is not covered by a periodontal pack, you can use a toothbrush to gently remove plaque from the teeth. Antimicrobial mouth rinses containing chlorhexidine are commonly prescribed after periodontal surgery. Although these rinses do not remove plaque from the teeth, they kill bacteria and help your mouth heal.

You may also have some swelling after surgery. This can be minimized by applying an ice pack to the outside of your face in the treated area. In some situations, antibiotics may be prescribed to prevent an infection and these should be taken as instructed. Your periodontist will want to reexamine the area in 7 to 10 days.
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space placeholder.Risks
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After the surgery, you may have some bleeding and swelling. There is a risk that you could develop an infection.

Your gums in the area that was treated are more likely to recede over time. The teeth that were treated may become more sensitive to hot and cold and may develop cavities in the roots.
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space placeholder.When To Call a Professional
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Your periodontist will monitor you closely after surgery and examine you frequently during the first few months. Always call your periodontist if you have excessive bleeding that does not stop, or if the surgical area swells up and the pain gets worse one week after the procedure. It may be a sign of developing infection that must be taken care of promptly.
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Last updated November 30, 2006
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