A local anesthetic will be used to numb the area prior to surgery. First, Drs. Vasanthan, Yanni or Yi will make an incision around each tooth of the affected area to release the gum tissue from the bone. This allows access to the bone and roots of the teeth. After the roots have been thoroughly cleaned through scaling, a drill and hand tools will be used to reshape the bone around the teeth.
Bone is removed in some areas to restore the normal rise and fall of the bone, but at a lower level. Bone grafting may also be necessary to fill in large defects. If bone grafting is done, a barrier membrane will be used to protect the bone grafts healing with your jaw bone.
Next, the gums will be placed back as before and sutured in place. Pain medication and mouth rinses containing chlorhexidine are generally prescribed following the surgery.