What To Expect After Flap Surgery:

Flap surgery is recommended when your periodontal disease is severe and root scaling and planing is no longer an option.  Once gum recession has begun the tissue does not grow back. More aggressive surgeries may be necessary to cleanup the infection. After Flap surgery is completed you may feel some discomfort because your periodontist has to cut and pull away the gum in order to scrape the bacteria away from the roots.

Once flap surgery alone may not be enough to treat your disease. Other procedures may be necessary to restore your dental health. For example, you may need a procedure called bone grafting. Bone grafting is when bone is removed from one part of your body, sometimes the hip, and placed in the jawbone. When this procedure is completed it allows for a more stable jawbone in order for implants to be fully supported.  While bone grafting is considered a fairly simple procedure it does require a local anesthetic and bone needs to be harvested prior to the appointment.  

If you are missing teeth due to periodontal disease implants maybe the best way to restore full functionality. However, this procedure cannot be completed unless there is enough stable bone. 

After flap and bone graft surgery you may experience some discomfort, swelling and bleeding. It may also take awhile for the bone graft begins to grow. If you experience excessive discomfort or bleeding you should contact Dr. Rice’s office immediately.