Gingival flap surgery or simply flap surgery, is a procedure where the gums are separated from the teeth and then folded back temporarily to allow your dentist to reach the root of your tooth. Flap surgery is used to treat periodontal disease or gum disease. Before the procedure, your Tacoma dentist will remove first all plaque and tartar around your teeth. This will then be followed by administration of anesthesia. After numbing the area with a local anesthetic, your dentist will then separate the gums from your teeth with the use of a scalpel and then fold them back in the form of a flap. This will give your dentist direct access to the roots and the supporting bone of your teeth.
After these procedures are finished, the gums will be placed back against your teeth and is held in place with the use of stitches. Some dentists use absorbable type of stitches or those stitches that dissolve on their own, while others use the non-absorbable type or those stitches that have to be removed a week or two following flap surgery. After the Tacoma dental surgery, your dentist will usually cover the surgical site with a periodontal pack or an intraoral dressing. Following the procedure, you may encounter some mild discomfort and pain. To allay these problems, your dentist will usually prescribe pain medications and antibiotics to prevent infection.
It is also very important to keep your mouth clean at all times while the surgical site is healing. This would mean that you should brush and floss your mouth normally. If the surgical site is not covered by a periodontal pack, you can use a soft bristled toothbrush to gently remove plaque from your teeth. Antimicrobial oral gargles that contain chlorhexidine are commonly prescribed by dentists following gingival flap surgery.