Flap surgery isn't a cure for periodontal disease — but it helps create an environment that makes it easier to maintain your periodontal health. And even if you're prone to gum disease, proper professional treatment and regular care at home can help keep your teeth healthy for as long as possible.
The flap procedure is necessary when severe gum disease (periodontitis) has damaged the bones that support your teeth.
Periodontal Treatment Success Rate
The overall success rate of both surgical and nonsurgical options is at around 87%.
After the surgery, patients might encounter some bleeding and swelling. The chances of developing an infection are also high. The teeth that were treated have a tendency to become more sensitive to hot and cold. The gums in the treated area are more likely to recede with the passage of time.
Periodontal flap surgery for a single quadrant in the mouth is quick and usually only takes about 45min to complete. Patients can watch TV or listen to music from personal headphones during the procedure. All procedures can also be performed under a Twilight sleep for maximum comfort if desired.
Laser gum treatment doesn't involve any scalpels, incisions, sutures, or manual scraping of unhealthy tissue. It's much gentler on your mouth and available to many patients that don't qualify for a flap and osseous surgery.
Vascular occlusion (thrombosis) remains the primary reason for flap loss, with venous thrombosis being more common than arterial occlusion. The majority of flap failures occur within the first 48 hours.
Blood vessels supplying the flap may kink or get clots, leading to bleeding and a loss of circulation. This may cause the tissue to die, leading to a partial or complete loss of the flap. This is more common in women who smoke or have recently quit. Quitting before surgery will help you to decrease the risk.
Skin flaps are thought to provide better cosmetic results than skin grafting (Fig. 5), as the skin tone and texture are usually better matched. Additionally, they have a reduced chance of failure in comparison to skin grafts.
Your periodontist will ask you to keep the gauze in place for the first 40 to 50 minutes, reducing the risk of bleeding. You should also refrain from speaking. While you may feel up to chatting, it's best to wait 2 or 3 days unless otherwise advised by a dentist.
Patients considering laser gum contouring will be excited to learn that in the vast majority of cases, the outcome of laser gum surgery is considered long-term. While subtle changes to your smile may occur naturally over time, the gum tissue that was trimmed away during laser gum contouring will not grow back.
In some cases where gum flap tissue removal is necessary, the tissue can grow back. You usually require about two weeks to recover from the treatment after removal. If you are dealing with symptoms specific treatment for acute pericoronitis, you can recover within a couple of days.
It is generally not recommended to leave the “flap of gum tissue” on a wisdom tooth after an extraction. The operculum is typically removed during the extraction process to allow access to the tooth and to ensure that the extraction site is properly cleaned.
Yes, gum grafts fail sometimes. Understanding what causes failure is critical to understanding how to achieve success. Many of the factors that lead to failure are the same things that lead to gum recession in the first place.
One of the most important things you can do to avoid having to undergo gum surgery is to take proper care of your teeth and gums. This simply requires you to gently brush your teeth at least twice a day and carefully floss your teeth at least once a day.
The procedure can: Improve the look of your smile: By removing plaque and tartar underneath your gum line, the surgery can encourage your gum tissue to reattach to your roots, reducing the depth and appearance of gum pockets.
You may need to have the dressing to your flap or graft site changed by your provider a couple times over 2 to 3 weeks. As the site heals, you may be able to care for it at home. Your provider will show you how to care for your wound and apply dressings. The site may become itchy as it heals.
Autograft tissue is the safest and fastest-healing tissue that can be used. However, harvesting autograft tissue creates a second surgical site from which the patient must recover. The additional recovery time can extend a patient's hospital stay.
EATING AND DRINKING: Do not try to eat until all the anesthesia (numbness) has worn off. High protein foods and liquids are desirable for 3-5 days following surgery. Semi-solid foods may be eaten as long as this may be done comfortably.
After flap surgery, you may experience some soreness, pain, and swelling once the anesthesia wears off. Fortunately, your dentist will prescribe painkillers, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory medication to manage these symptoms for faster healing and to prevent infections.
A flap procedure is typically recommended for patients with moderate to severe gum disease, or periodontitis, that has not responded to non-surgical treatments such as scaling and root planing. This treatment can remove built-up plaque and tartar around the roots and restore the health of gum tissue.
You will be sore in the breast and in the area where the flap was taken. You may have a pulling or stretching feeling in those areas. You can expect to feel better and stronger each day, although you may need pain medicine for a week or two. You may get tired easily or have less energy than usual.
Side Effects Of Gum Flap Surgery
Following gum flap surgery, it's not uncommon for patients to experience bleeding of the gums, swelling around the treated area or areas, and some irritation as well. Be sure to follow all post-op instructions closely to deal with minor side effects.
Maintain normal oral hygiene measures in the areas of your mouth not affected by the surgery. In areas where there is dressing, lightly brush only the biting surfaces of the teeth. Please chew on the opposite side of your mouth and try to avoid the dressing as much as possible.
Use a sulcabrush (which is similar to a manual toothbrush but has 1/3rd of the bristles) to access underneath the flap of gum to clean out food debris. Use a CDA approved mouthwash at least once a day to help reduce the bacteria in the area. Use a monojet to squirt mouthwash under the flap of gum.