Flap Surgery

Who requires it ?

Patients are advised to have surgery for severe gum diseases. If it cannot be cured with antibiotics or root planning and scaling. A flap surgery cleans the roots of a tooth and repairs bone damage caused by gum diseases. A gum specialist or an oral surgeon often performs the procedure.

Indications:

• Swollen gums and repeated abscess
• Swollen gums and repeated abscess
• Grade 3 – Calculus (Tartar accumulation) that is resulting in bone loss

Procedure of flap surgery is the same and can be done Manually or with Laser

Conventional Manual Flap Surgery:

• It’s done in two sittings under local anesthesia – First one side of the jaw either left or right is anesthetized, flap is lifted and cleaned and antiseptic treatment is given. If necessary bone graft and bone chips are placed , if there is severe bone loss. The same is repeated on the other side.
• Sutures are placed and patient is recalled after 3-4 days for the other side, and the same procedure is repeated.
• Periodontal treatment usually takes time to show results. Good Hygiene after surgery is mandatory with follow ups.
• An OPG is taken to monitor if bones and gums are getting back to health and further action is intimidated to the patient

Disadvantage: Though this process is cost effective, excessive bleeding canoccure, healing takes a very long time, and there is more discomfort to the patient.

Laser-Assisted New Attachment Procedure

The process for laser gum surgery uses LANAP, which stands for “laser-assisted new attachment procedure.” The pulsing laser can tell the difference between a diseased gum tissue (which is darker in color) and a healthy tissue, and thus it only destroys the infected areas. Laser gum surgery triumphs over traditional method as it.

• Promotes regeneration of diseased gum and root surfaces.
• The patient experiences less gum recession
• Lower chance of the gum disease returning
• Little recovery time
• Bloodless. As laser generates heat and burns of the infected tissue without resulting in bleeding