Gingivectomy & Gingivoplasty - A Study In Detail

Poor oral health can undoubtedly impact our overall health. For example, if left untreated, gum disease can cause health issues like diabetes, stroke, heart disease, etc. Besides, severe gum inflammation can lead to tooth and bone loss. At Arden Dental care, our dental experts help combat gum disease and maintain our patient's oral health with various dental procedures.

Gingivectomy 

Gingivectomy surgery removes and reshapes a part of the seriously diseased gum and is mostly recommended before the gum disease affects the tooth's supporting bone. This surgery can benefit those who have loose gums that are pulled away from the neighboring tooth. During the gingivectomy procedure, the loosened gums are reattached using sutures. 

Gingivectomy involves the removal of excess gum or gingiva surgically and is used to treat damaged gums, deep gum pockets, or the presence of excess gum. 

Here are the major cases when a dentist recommends gingivectomy:

• Aging
• Gum damage or injury
• Gum disease 
• Gum inflammation and swelling
• Bacterial infection in the gum

For patients suffering from gum disease or infection, a gingivectomy procedure can help prevent additional damage to the gum and eventual tooth loss that may happen when left untreated.

Benefits of gingivectomy 

Gingivectomies can benefit people in the following ways:

• Help people who wish to improve the aesthetics of their smiles:If you are someone with a gummy smile or excessive gum tissue, the gingivectomy procedure helps improve the aesthetics of your smile by removing the excess gum tissue, thus revealing more of the teeth. Besides improving smile aesthetics, the procedure contributes to anti-aging, as pronounced gumline is usually connected with aging.
• Helps those who have periodontal disease:Removing the excessive gum line can help people with gum disease to recover from the consequences of the condition and to enhance the health and integrity of the supporting structures encompassing the teeth.

Gingivoplasty 

Gingivoplasty is a surgical process that involves reshaping the appearance of the patient's gums for cosmetic reasons. Also called gum recontouring or gum contouring, the procedure helps increase the length of the patient's front teeth to improve the aesthetics of the teeth. 

Gingivoplasty and bone recontouring can help the placement of a crown for teeth that are decayed or broken near the gum line. This procedure can be done individually, during, or succeeding a gingivectomy or a gum graft.

Benefits of Gingivoplasty 

• Helps to create attractive gums: For those people with a gummy smile - the condition where the gum tissue covers too much of their teeth, the gingivoplasty procedure can help reduce the gums, allowing the visibility of more of the patient's teeth.
• Helps to reshape grafted gums:If you have periodontal disease, the treatment typically involves the use of gum grafts to restore and rebuild the damaged gums. Gum grafts can help create healthy new gums that support the root of each tooth and the bones surrounding them. 
• Helps to enhance the appearance of the tissue after a gum graft:After a gum graft procedure has healed the damaged gums and initiates the growth of new gum tissue, a gingivoplasty can be done. This procedure is the last step during the gum grafting procedure as it enhances the appearance of the gums by shaping the healthy gums to look aesthetically pleasing.
• Helps people with gum tissue overgrowth: When gum material grows over the teeth due to certain medications, as a result of poor dental hygiene, or for people who wear metal braces, a gingivectomy can be performed to combat this issue. The procedure helps remove the periodontal pockets where plaque and tartar can accumulate, thus allowing better healing of the gums. 

Wish to know more about Gingivectomy or Gingivoplasty?  Call Arden Dental care at (916) 481-2001 to schedule an appointment.