Osseous (bone) surgery is used to modify and reshape deformities in the bone surrounding the teeth.

The bone and gum tissue should fit snugly around your teeth. When you have periodontal disease, this supporting tissue and bone is destroyed, forming "pockets" around the teeth. Eventually these pockets become deeper, providing a larger space for the bacteria to live, resulting in further bone and tissue loss.

As periodontal pockets become deeper and bony defects more prominent, it makes it impossible to remove all of the bacteria from the pockets with daily at-home oral hygiene techniques, i.e.: brushing and flossing, or regular dental cleanings.

Osseous surgery is used to reduce pocket depths and repair damage to the bone. To see an example of a method we use to correct pockets surgically while maintaining a naturally esthetic gum position (not everyone is comfortable viewing this) Click here.

With the elimination of the pockets, routine at-home oral hygiene combined with regular professional dental cleanings can be quite effective in increasing the chances of keeping your natural teeth.