Gum Surgery Post-operative Instructions |
If your dentist has diagnosed advanced gum disease that can not be treated with conservative treatments, you may need gum surgery.
For a succesful outcome of a periodontal gum surgery procedure, the patient must follow carefully the post-operative surgery instructions given by the dentist.
Before the periodontist decides the most appropriate treatment, will review your medical and dental history, take x-rays to evaluate the damage of jaw bone and perform a thorough examination to determine the overall health of your mouth. Then the periodontist will decide and propose which gum surgery procedures are necessary for your case.
If not already done, the periodontist will perform tooth scaling and root planing to remove as much dental plaque and tartar as possible. Antimicrobial medications are usually prescribed some days before the gum surgery to minimize the risk of post-surgical infection. You will also be advised to follow intensive oral hygiene routine. It is very important for the success of gum surgery, that bacteria have been reduced to the minimum possible before the surgical procedure.
Gum surgery procedures are performed under local anesthesia so that little or no pain or discomfort is felt during the surgery. The procedure sequence details differ depending on the type of gum surgery. Procedure time, discomfort level and healing time depend also on the severity of the problem and the extend of treatment. A treatment that involves several teeth is expected to be more complex than one involving a single tooth.
Most gum surgery procedures are performed using traditional instruments such as scalpels or dental burs. Lately new techniques such as electrosurgery and laser gum surgery are becoming more popular.
Following gum surgery, a periodontal dressing is placed over the gums to protect the surgical site during the healing period. The periodontist may prescribe pain medication to relieve discomfort and an antimicrobial mouthwash to help in preventing infections. Gums will usually start to look normal within a month, while complete healing is expected after two to three months.
General instructions after any gum surgery procedure are the following: