- This is most commonly performed when periodontal disease and pocketing persists or is too advanced to be effectively treated in a non-surgical manner.
- Under local anesthetic, a temporary incision is made, hidden in your gumline, which allows for your gums to be temporarily retracted in order to gain access to your roots and diseased bone. Any diseased tissue is removed and your roots are cleaned in an open manner where direct vision is possible, especially in otherwise hard to reach anatomical regions. Diseased bone surrounding your teeth is recontoured to a more desirable architecture, and then your gums are sutured back in place to create a new healthier environment.
- Flaps are also sometimes performed to investigate teeth that may have been fractured, to repair a failed root canal, or to evaluate if there is root resorption. This procedure may also help expose an inaccessible area for your dentist under the gumline so that they can remove a cavity from your teeth, and place a filling.