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Types of Gum Surgery

Posted on 1/25/2021 by Office of Dr. James A. Krippaehne

If you are one of the 47% of American adults who have gum disease, we at West End Dental can treat it effectively through various, minimally-invasive gum surgeries.
The most common cause of gum disease, or periodontal disease, is the proliferation of infectious bacteria, which lives in plaque in the mouth. If not cleaned properly, plaque can result in the breakdown of soft and hard tissues.
Some other causes of gum disease are certain chronic auto-immune conditions and medication that cause dry mouth.

Types of Gum Surgery

At West End Dental, Dr. James Krippaehne and team can perform the following surgeries to treat your active gum disease:

Gum Flap Surgery

Also known as pocket reduction surgery, this surgery is done to clean the bacteria from deep beneath your gums. We will make an incision in your gums and fold back the flap to remove the bacteria attached to your tooth root. The gums are then sutured closed and allowed to heal.

Crown Lengthening

Some people have excess gums that encroach onto their upper teeth. With a crown lengthening surgery, we can remove the extra gums so that you have a reduced risk of contracting gum disease. This surgery also makes your teeth appear longer and increases the aesthetics of your smile.

Soft Tissue Graft

Gum disease can destroy healthy gums in your mouth. To restore the damage, we may take soft tissue samples from the roof of your mouth or some area of the mouth and graft them onto the area that needs it. This can help cover up the exposed tooth root, develop healthy gums, and restore your beautiful smile.

What to Expect During Gum Surgery

If you are nervous about having gum surgery, do not be. Gum surgeries are minimally invasive and we always administer local anesthesia to make sure you have a pain-free experience.
We will first give you a professional cleaning and ask you about your health history and any medication you take.
Once the surgery is performed, we will close the site with sutures and may add a periodontal pack on the wound, which will help accelerate healing and prevent infection.
Feeling some soreness once the effect of the anesthesia wears away is common but the pain can be managed by OTC painkillers. You may also experience some bleeding and swelling, which is normal and will subside in a few days.
We may also prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection.
If you get a fever or feel the side effects of the surgery worsening, call us at (503) 446-2957 to get an urgent appointment so that we can treat it quickly.

WE TREAT OUR PATIENTS WITH RESPECT

We believe in educating patients about their treatment options and listening to their questions and concerns.

WE BELIEVE IN HEALTHY TEETH FIRST

We focus on prevention so that you keep your smile healthy. We provide excellent comfortable care for all procedures.

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Office: (503) 446-2957
Fax: (503) 222-0029

Dr. James Krippaehne

West End Dental
833 SW 11th Ave Suite 300
Portland, OR 97205

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Dental Blog | Portland OR | West End Dental
West End Dental, 833 SW 11th Ave, Suite 300 Portland, OR 97205, (503) 446-2957, west-end-dental.com, 9/19/2024, Page Terms:dentist Downtown Portland,