Periodontal Disease & Surgery

Periodontal disease is known as gum disease. If left untreated, this inflammation of the gums can progress to the underlying bone that supports teeth. There are three stages of periodontal disease are gingivitis, periodontitis, and late-stage advanced periodontitis.

If you are experiencing any of these stages, your Houston dentists at Dr. Cabrera Dental Associates can help you. Our dentists specialize in periodontal procedures and regularly treat periodontal disease, which is basically a bacterial infection that infects gum tissue, causing inflammation, swelling, redness, and eventually bone loss around the teeth. Gum disease may affect one or multiple teeth. It is estimated that 80 percent of all adults in the U.S. have some form of the damaging disease.

At Dr. Cabrera Dental Associates in Houston, patients with signs of gum disease may need to undergo one of the following treatment methods to restore their oral health:

1. Gingival Flap Surgery is used to reduce pockets that are more than five millimeters deep. If your dentist in Houston diagnosed moderate to severe periodontitis, this would be the standard procedure.

During flap surgery, the gum tissue is cut to separate it from the teeth so the periodontist can conduct a thorough cleaning with an ultrasonic scaling device. A hand instrument is also used to remove plaque, tartar, and biofilm that has accumulated below the pockets.

1. Gingivectomy refers to the removal of excess gum tissue that has overgrown onto the teeth. This is done to allow more efficient teeth cleaning. The Houston periodontist numbs the patient’s gums and extracts the extra tissue from the mouth.
2. Gingivoplasty is the reshaping of healthy gum tissue that surrounds the teeth. This procedure is performed on patients with tooth recession or where the gum has pulled away from the tooth. The tissue is grafted from the roof of the patient’s mouth and transferred to the area where the tooth is recessed and stitched in place.

Contact your Houston dentist if you think you may be experiencing signs of periodontal disease and want to learn more about treatment options.