Did you know that good oral health goes beyond taking care of your teeth? It also includes the gums. The gums are essential tissues that help anchor the teeth in place in the jawbone and protect sensitive nerve endings or the roots of the teeth. Without proper care, the gums can become infected.
When the gums become infected, you need to visit a periodontist in Mississauga. They may find that you have mild, moderate, or severe gum disease or periodontal disease. In other cases, they may see pockets or widening gaps forming between the teeth and gum tissue. Similarly, they may also observe the gum tissue pulling away from the teeth, or, conversely, you have excess gum tissue that affects the appearance of your smile.
All of these are reasons to perform gum surgery. In this blog, our periodontists will explain the different reasons why you may need gum surgery in Mississauga, and how this specialized procedure will help restore your healthy, beautiful smile.
Let’s dive in!
What is gum surgery? An overview
There are many types of gum surgery, each recommended and performed by a periodontist. Each type of gum surgery is performed for a specific condition or problem in the gums.
In a nutshell, gum surgery involves the use of surgical techniques to treat infection, recession, or excess gum tissue and other similar problems. During gum surgery, your periodontist in Mississauga may clean out an infected area, reinforce existing gum tissue with a graft, or contour the gums to remove excess tissue.
Keep in mind that gum surgery is recommended when the problem in your gums has become so severe that nonsurgical techniques won’t work anymore.
Why is gum surgery performed? Top reasons
As you’ve seen above, there are a number of circumstances that call for gum surgery, each requiring a specific type of procedure. Your periodontist in Mississauga will recommend gum surgery based on these reasons:
- Gum contouring and crown lengthening: Remove excess gum tissue
- Gingivoplasty: Reshape badly formed gums
- Gingival flap surgery: Clean and treat infected gums
- Pocket reduction surgery: Treat severe gum disease
- Soft tissue grafting: Treat gum recession
Does your smile look “gummy” and your teeth much shorter than they should be? A healthy, beautiful smile has the perfect ratio of gum tissue to visible surfaces of the teeth. A gummy smile and short teeth means you have excess gum tissue.
To treat this, your periodontist will surgically remove gum tissue and contour the gums, essentially lengthening the appearance of your teeth. Not only does this improve the appearance of your smile, it also has actual oral health benefits.
Since excess gum tissue covers more surfaces of the teeth than healthy gums should, it makes it hard to thoroughly clean between the teeth. Plus, you may even experience difficulty with speech. As a result, gum contouring will have a positive cosmetic and health impact on your smile.
Sometimes, the problem isn’t excess gum tissue that makes the teeth look shorter than they should be. Sometimes, the gums may have formed improperly, look asymmetrical, or suffered injuries and trauma.
When these happen, your periodontist may recommend gingivoplasty. This type of gum surgery will correct badly formed gums and reshape the gum line to improve its health and appearance.
Another way to treat infected gums is through gingival flap surgery. Your periodontist will perform this type of gum surgery to treat the infection all the way in the roots of the teeth and the jawbone. These areas become infected when periodontitis is left untreated and reaches deep into the structures of the mouth.
During gingival flap surgery, your periodontist will fold back the gum tissue to reach the affected tooth roots and bone. Once the gums are folded back, your periodontist will remove the infected tissue to prevent further spread.
Gum disease is one of the most common ailments that affect the health and appearance of the gums. It’s typically caused by poor oral hygiene habits which leaves bacteria and plaque around the teeth and along the gum line. Bacteria and plaque build up if you don’t brush and floss properly and regularly.
Over time, the bacteria and plaque buildup will cause pockets to form. While it is normal to have a small gap between the gums and teeth, gum disease can cause these gaps or pockets to widen, providing even more room for bacteria to nest and gum disease to worsen.
Your periodontist will perform pocket reduction surgery to clean and reduce the size of these pockets, effectively treating gum disease and preventing it from worsening.
Finally, one of the most common reasons that gum surgery is performed is due to gum recession. When this happens, the gum tissue pulls back from the teeth, which reveals the roots of the teeth. If left untreated, gum recession will progress so much that it can lead to tooth loss and damage to the jawbone.
Gum recession is often caused by poor oral care habits, including over- or aggressive brushing. It can also result from gum disease. Unfortunately, it’s not noticeable until it’s too late, and by then you will be experiencing symptoms such as tooth sensitivity. And since receded gums do not grow back, your best option is a soft tissue graft.
During this gum surgery procedure, your periodontist will take tissue from the roof of the mouth, the layer beneath it, or healthy tissue beside the affected area. Then, they will attach or graft the tissue to the part where your gums have receded and suture it in place.
A gum graft will not only cover the exposed tooth roots and reinforce gum tissues that help hold the teeth in place, but it can also stimulate regeneration and keep the teeth healthy for longer.
Schedule Your Gum Surgery with Our Mississauga Periodontists
As you’ve just learned, there are many reasons why gum surgery is performed, and a number of conditions that they treat. Each type of gum surgery described above is recommended and performed by periodontists in Mississauga to restore the health and appearance of your gums.
Not sure what type of gum surgery you need? Periodontal Associates can help. Our highly qualified and trained periodontists are experienced in performing all of these types of gum surgery.
Our periodontists in Mississauga strive to provide an accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment plan that allows us to address the different conditions you face, including gum disease, gum recession, and cosmetic issues. More importantly, we provide long-term periodontal care to maintain the positive results of your gum surgery in Mississauga.
Do you want more information on gum surgery? Book a consultation with our periodontists in Mississauga, and find out the best type of gum surgery for your needs.
