What is Flap Surgery used for?

Flap surgery is used to treat gum disease (periodontitis). It may be recommended for people with moderate or advanced periodontitis, especially if the initial, non-surgical treatment (scaling and root planing) has not eliminated the gum infection. It may also be done in conjunction with another procedure known as osseous (bone) surgery.

Preparation

Your dentist will first remove all plaque and tartar (calculus) from around your teeth and make sure that your oral hygiene is good and whether your general health or your current medications allow for a surgical procedure to be carried out.

How is it Done?

After numbing the area with a local anesthetic, the dentist will use a scalpel to separate the gums from the teeth and then lift or fold them back in the form of a flap. This gives the dentist direct access to the roots and bone supporting the teeth. Inflamed tissue is removed from between the teeth and from any holes (defects) in the bone. The dentist will then do a procedure called scaling and root planing to clean plaque and tartar. If you have bone defects, your dentist may eliminate them with a procedure called osseous recontouring, which smoothens the edges of the bone using files or rotating burs.

Follow-Up

You will have mild to moderate discomfort after the procedure, but your dentist can prescribe pain medication to control it. Many people are comfortable with just an over-the-counter pain reliever.

It is very important for you to keep your mouth as clean as possible while the surgical site is healing. This means you should brush and floss the rest of your mouth normally. Antimicrobial mouth rinses containing chlorhexidine are commonly prescribed following periodontal surgery. Although these rinses do not remove plaque from the teeth, they kill bacteria and help your mouth to heal. Your dentist will want to reexamine the area in 7 to 10 days