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| Osseous Surgery
Osseous surgery is a type of surgery that reshapes the bone that holds one or more teeth in place.
Osseous surgery is a treatment for the gum disease called periodontitis. People with periodontitis develop holes called defects in the bone around 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.
Before your surgery, you need to have basic periodontal treatment called scaling and root planing. You also must take good care of your teeth. You should brush twice a day and floss daily. A local anesthetic is used to numb the area for surgery.
Osseous surgery can be done by a dentist or a periodontist, a dentist who specializes in treating gum disease. First, the dentist will cut around each tooth in the area being treated to release the gum tissue from the bone. This allows access to the roots and bone. After the roots have been cleaned, the dentist will use a drill and sharp hand tools to reshape the bone around the teeth. Bone is removed in certain areas to restore the normal rise and fall (contour) of the bone, but at a lower level. Sometimes a bone grafting material also may be placed in large defects. The dentist then will place the gums back over the remaining bone and stitch them in place. The site also may be covered with a bandage known as a periodontal pack or dressing.
You may get a prescription for pain medicine to use after surgery. It is very important for you to keep your mouth as clean as possible while you heal. This means you should brush and floss the rest of your mouth normally. If you don't have a periodontal pack over the surgical site, you can use a toothbrush to gently remove plaque from the teeth. Mouth rinses containing chlorhexidine are commonly prescribed after periodontal surgery. These rinses do not remove plaque from the teeth. However, they kill bacteria and help your mouth heal. You may also have some swelling after surgery. You can reduce swelling by applying an ice pack to the outside of your face in the treated area. In some situations, you may get a prescription for antibiotics to prevent an infection. Be sure to take them as instructed. Your dentist or periodontist will want to examine the area again in 7 to 10 days.
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. As a result, the treated teeth will look longer. The teeth that were treated may become more sensitive to hot and cold. They may develop cavities in the roots if you do not take good care of your teeth and gums.
Your dentist or periodontist will monitor you closely after surgery. He or she will examine you often during the next few months. Always call if you have excessive bleeding that does not stop. Also call if the area swells up and the pain gets worse one week after the surgery. It may be a sign of developing infection that must be treated promptly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Last updated May 20, 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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