After assessing the results from root planing and scaling, it may be necessary to recommend additional treatment to help reduce deep, lasting pockets to the more normal range of 1-3mm. In order to create a more permanent, healthier environment around the teeth, periodontal surgery may be recommended in areas of the mouth that do not respond to non-surgical treatment (root planning and scaling).
Soft tissue plastic surgery may be needed to improve cosmetics, or regenerative surgery may be necessary to rebuild and replace the lost bone support around the teeth. During periodontal surgery, the doctor has an opportunity to visibly ensure that all calculus (tartar) on the root surfaces has been thoroughly removed and more importantly that the proper root planing is accomplished to provide the tooth root surface with a biologically clean surface. In addition, where possible, your gums and underlying bone supporting surfaces may be enhanced with tissue Growth factors such as found in medicine, to achieve optimal healing results, leaving the patient with shallower pockets and less gum recession.
Your gums will typically heal within 1-2 weeks. While the use of bone graft Growth-factors promotes more rapid healing than other therapies, it may take several months for bone to mature into its final dense structure. They will improve the health of the jaw bone and surrounding tissues that have been damaged as a result of periodontal disease. By using these, your surgeon is providing you with state-ofthe- art treatment which will enhance your potential to heal, beyond what other therapies have been shown to do.
The components used are safe and effective and have a history of safe use in other medical applications. In addition, they have been evaluated in one of the largest, most rigorous clinical trials ever conducted in the United States for a regenerative product in dentistry.
Most commonly available treatments provide a platform supporting the in-growth of tissues necessary to regenerate the diseased site. Treatment with Growth-factor Enhanced Matrix provides both a platform for regeneration to occur and an active growth factor which stimulates regeneration of bone and tissue. The active growth factor has been shown to attract cells necessary for healing and cause them to multiply. The growth factor is called platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). PDGF is a wound healing agent found normally in the body. As the name implies, PDGF is a naturally present in your blood platelets. Platelets are cells normally involved in tissue repair. PDGF is released from platelets at a site of injury and stimulates the initiation of healing. This Growth factor Enhanced Matrix captures the power of this well known wound healing agent, by delivering PDGF in a highly concentrated, purified form, directly to the treatment site.
We advise our surgery patients, pre-operatively and postoperatively that they should experience no pain, no swelling, no bleeding after any type of surgery, just soreness at the surgical sites.
Shallower pockets are easier to maintain both for the patients and for the dental professionals who regularly and periodically clean their teeth and treat their gums.