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27th Nov 2024

5 Possible Reasons for Gum Surgery



Despite your best efforts to maintain optimum gum and tooth health, issues may emerge that need specialist dental procedures. When your gums get infected or injured, you should seek treatment from a cosmetic dentist in Houston, such as an oral surgeon. Fortunately, there are several current treatments for treating gum disorders. 

Without treatment, the condition will worsen and eventually cause problems with your teeth, mouth, and jawbone. Gum surgery is usually performed to improve the health of your gums. Gum surgery is commonly performed for several reasons, including removing extra gums to allow more tooth exposure and contouring gums.

Gingivectomy and Gingivoplasty

A gingivectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the gingiva, or gum tissue. Gingivoplasty is a surgical procedure that reshapes the gum tissue surrounding your teeth.

What Exactly Is a Gingivectomy Used For?

Gingivectomy was originally intended to cure periodontal disease, but it is now often utilized as a cosmetic technique. If pockets or gaps occur between your teeth and gums, you may need cosmetic dentistry in Houston for a gingivectomy. The pockets collect food particles, promoting the growth of germs that can cause further harm to the gums and teeth. 

A gingivectomy is also performed to remove extra gum tissue from surrounding your teeth. Excess gum can make it difficult to fully clean between your teeth and may interfere with your speaking and/or eating.

What Is Gingivoplasty Used For?

Gingivoplasty is commonly done to remodel your gums, making them seem more natural. This surgery is also used to repair poorly formed gums, asymmetrical gums, gum damage, and cosmetic issues.

Gingival Flap Surgery

A gingival flap technique involves removing the teeth from the gums so that the dentist may temporarily fold back the gum tissue to reach the bone and base of the tooth. This treatment is performed to treat gum disease (periodontitis). 

Gingival flap surgery is often advised for patients with mild to advanced periodontitis. Before doing a gingival flap surgery, the dentist would usually try scaling and root planing. If the gum infection is not eradicated during scaling and root planing, gingival flap surgery may be necessary to completely eliminate the infection.

Gum Contouring

Gum reshaping, also known as crown lengthening or gum contouring, is a cosmetic dentistry operation that improves the appearance of your teeth. This surgery is frequently used when patients have a "gummy smile," a condition in which the gums cover too much of the teeth, making them appear abnormally short. 

A gummy grin may interfere with a person's desire to smile. When gum contouring is done for cosmetic purposes, it usually boosts the individual's self-confidence.

Soft Tissue Grafts

When tooth roots become exposed owing to receding gums, gum graft surgery is utilized to replace the faulty gum, which is effective in avoiding further recession and bone loss. A gum graft can be used to cover the roots of a tooth or to generate gum tissue when there is an insufficient amount of gum. During this operation, the oral surgeon will extract gum tissue from your palate or another donor site and utilize it to cover the exposed root. Soft tissue grafts can be performed on one or more teeth to relieve sensitivity and level out the gum line.


Gum surgery is utilized for a variety of reasons, but the most prevalent is gum disease. It is critical to develop the practice of maintaining proper dental hygiene, which includes brushing twice daily and flossing at least once every day. It is also critical to make regular appointments to your dentist for cleanings and exams. The sooner the dentist identifies gum damage, the easier the treatment will be.