Does Gum Surgery Really Help to Restore Your Smile?

When it comes to oral health, the one thing that most people focus on is their teeth. People will brush their teeth and forget that their gums are equally important. Your gums hold your teeth in place, so they can get infected if you are not caring for them. Also, your gums play a crucial role in your dental aesthetics. This is why most people who have a gummy smile will decide to undergo gum surgery in Oakland, CA, to remove the extra gum tissue.

Don’t panic if you have been scheduled to undergo gum surgery near you. It actually sounds much worse than it really is. The gum surgery procedure will help deal with gum recession if you are suffering from gum disease or improve the appearance of your smile if you have a gummy smile.

Does Gum Surgery Really Help?

In a nutshell, gum surgery in Oakland, CA, is performed to enhance the health and beauty of your smile. As you already know, the gums are the mouth’s soft tissue that holds the teeth. If you don’t practice optimal oral hygiene, your gums will be susceptible to different infections.

Periodontal disease or gum disease causes gum inflammation because of plaque buildup along the gumline. You will notice your gums are red, swollen, and tender; these are the initial symptoms. As plaque continues to accumulate, the gums will bleed easily.

Some patients will require gum surgery since they have severe gum disease. When gum disease has advanced, surgery is one of the main ways to restore oral health. This is because gums will tend to recede or pull away from the teeth, worsening the condition.

The process of gum recession will expose more of your teeth’s structure, and your teeth may look longer. Gum recession is gradual, and if you are not careful, you might never even notice that your gums have receded. If your tooth roots get exposed, then the chances of you getting a severe infection are high.

Some patients may even develop deep pockets in their gums, creating the need for gum surgery to restore their oral health.

If you don’t undergo gum surgery, there are severe risks associated with gum disease. Once the roots are exposed, bacteria can gain access to the alveolar bone, which holds the teeth in place, and once the bone becomes infected, it may begin deteriorating and lead to tooth loss and bone loss.

Gum surgery can help regrow damaged tissues and bones and help prevent tooth loss, reduce the spaces between the gums and the teeth, and reshape the jawbone to remove bacterial growth.

How Do I Know If I Need Gum Surgery?

Gum surgery can be an excellent option for you if you need to:

• Treat periodontal disease. Gum surgery will enable our dentist to reduce the deep pockets where bacteria reside. This will give your gums the opportunity to heal and reattach to your teeth.
• Reduce gum recession. Our dentist can put back gum tissue lost because of gum disease through a process known as gum grafting.
• Place a dental implant. Gum surgery is essential for implant placement
• Reshape your gums. You can also undergo gum surgery if you wish to reshape your gums if you have excess gum tissue

Types of Gum Surgery

The type of gum surgery procedure you will receive will depend on the severity of gum disease or the type of cosmetic results you desire. In any case, here they are:

Flap Surgery

This type of gum surgery aims to correct the pockets formed because of the gums pulling away from the teeth. So during deep cleaning, our dentist will separate the gums from the teeth, clean the area, and then stitch it back.

Gingivectomy

Overgrown and excess gum tissue is removed to enhance your dental aesthetics. Also, removing the excess tissue may make it easier to clean the teeth.

Gum Graft

Our dentist will take tissue from the upper part of your mouth and stitch it to the receding gums. This will help even the gum line.

Gum Regeneration     

Our dentist will fold gum tissue and then remove the bacteria. Then, bone grafts, tissue-stimulating proteins, or membranes are inserted to help gum tissues regenerate around the teeth.

As you can see, gum surgery can improve your oral health. Contact us today at Franklin Dental Care if you wish to have your smile back to its former glory.