Flap Surgery

Overview

Periodontal Flap surgery is the surgical treatment of diseased gum by repairing periodontal pockets between the gum and a tooth. It results into infections and inflammations of the gum leading to loss of tissues connected to the teeth. A flap surgery helps to clean damaged bones and tissues from the root of the teeth.

Gum diseases are classified into three stages from mild to the most severe. The first stage is ‘’Gingivitis’’, the second is ‘’periodontis’’ and the third is ‘’advanced periodontis’’. Flap surgery is usually recommended for patients suffering from moderate to very advanced periodontis. In the first step, the dentist tries to eliminate gum infection by the processes of teeth scaling and root planning. However, if the procedure fails to treat, flap surgery is performed.

Before flap surgery treatment, the dentist examines your gum disease and tries to analyze the interactions between plague collection or bacterial biofilm formation at the gum line with the person’s immune system. Understanding and eliminating the disease helps to restore the teeth for a lifetime.

Remember, flap surgery is a not a cure to gum disease, rather it is a procedure followed to maintain teeth health. Post surgery, proper home care and repeated periodontal cleanings at the clinic is necessary. Such types of gum disease shows signs of bleeding, swollen and reddish gum, bad taste in mouth and extremely bad breath, receding gum from the tooth, lost teeth, visible pus in the gum line, etc. Tell your doctor about these specific symptoms and you will be suggested to get a flap surgery. Before flap surgery treatment, the patient has to follow a few preparation tips.

Before the Treatment

• You dentist will examine your teeth and the gum area to understand the type and severity of the disease. Once, he realizes that the situation is severe, he recommends periodontal flap surgery.
• He consults with you about the medicines you are taking and your health conditions. Thus, he evaluates all your medicines, oral history and medical history and decides whether the surgery can be performed or not.
• If he finds it right to continue with the surgery, he gives you a go signal.

How it is performed

• After observation, he tells you when to visit next. On your first sitting, a dental hygienist or periodontist cleans tartar and plague, also called calculus from the teeth.
• He injects local anaesthesia to numb the area that he wants to operate. A portion of the gum is pulled back from your teeth and is flapped back. This allows the dentist to have easy access to the roots of the teeth. Then, he cleans damaged tissues and bones from the root area.
• During the procedure, the dentist either smoothens or reshapes the bone to prevent plague from re-growing. If needed, the bone is repaired or replaced with bone extracted from other parts of the body or created from any artificial materials.
• Once done, the gum flap is stretched to its place. It is then covered by gauze to prevent bleeding.

Recovery

Slight bruising and swelling in the gum region post surgery is common. Even chapped lips and discomfort are common. Patients usually suffer from pain which is best treated with non-aspirins. You should avoid eating or drinking anything until the anaesthesia wears off.

Your doctor will prescribe you specific medicines to be taken after the surgery to get relief from pain and discomfort. To minimize pain, patients are recommended to press a frozen vegetable bag or a reusable ice bag against the swollen area. Recovery is quick if you use the ice bag several times a day for the first 24-48 hours. While sleeping, keep your head elevated since that will help you to recover faster.

The recovery time of flap surgery may take several days to weeks. It is possible to speed up recovery if you follow doctor’s advice. Avoid rinsing your mouth in 24 hours after the surgery. Use warm water with salt in it when washing your mouth. Change the gauze from time to time. Avoid eating hard and spicy foods. You should avoid any stressful activities. Brush your teeth softly and with great care.