In order to eliminate your periodontal disease we needed to reduce the deep pockets in your mouth. To achieve this we performed a resective type of surgery that involved the cleaning of your roots and the removal of gum tissue and bone. Sometimes this surgery is combined with a bone graft to regenerate bone lost around teeth.

 

The amount of pain and swelling you feel after periodontal surgery depends on the number of teeth that and the depth of the pockets. More teeth and deeper pockets will usually result in more pain and swelling. Pain is usually worst in the first 3 days and should improve by 10-14 days. Swelling is usually greatest in the first 5 days and should start to decrease by 7 to 10 days. If pain or swelling increases significantly a few days (3 to 7 days) after surgery, please call for instructions.

 

Bruising may also occur after surgery is performed. The bruising is likely going to occur under your eye, in your cheek and/or under your chin. This is more common when deeper pockets and more teeth are involved. The bruising will usually show up 1 to 2 days after surgery and may last up to 10 to 14 days later.

 

You will probably have a little bit of bleeding and a pink color to your saliva for the first day or two after surgery. Holding small amounts of ice water in your mouth will usually stop any slight oozing. However, if there is excessive bleeding the day of or continual bleeding the day after surgery, please call for instructions.

 

The sutures need to stay in place 7 to 10 days after surgery. Occasionally sutures may be left in place up to 1 month. This will be the case for you if a bone graft and membrane were placed in order to regenerate the bone around a tooth.

 

The periodontal tissues need to heal 2 months before we evaluate the results. After 2 months we will re-probe your mouth to make sure we achieved the result we desired. If a bone graft was performed we will not evaluate the area for 6 to 12 months.

 

After you have completed your surgery you should not just assume you have been cured. Periodontitis is a complex disease that results from your body’s reaction to bacteria. These bacteria are always present in your mouth and cannot be eliminated, only reduced. This is why we ask for you to come back every three months for periodontal maintenance. We are trying to mechanically keep the bacteria from spreading down your roots again. If you miss these additional appointments these bacteria may re-grow and re-infect your gums.