Gum Surgery, otherwise called Periodontal Surgery is done to treat the damages the gums have created to the tooth and tooth-related parts of the mouth.
The objectives of this surgery include accessibility of instruments to root surface, elimination of inflammation, creation of an oral environment for plaque control, periodontal diseases control, oral hygiene maintenance and maintain proper embrasure space.

Types of Gum Surgeries

Flap Surgery: This is used to remove excess bacteria formation on the teeth. There are instances where the bacteria forms in between the gums and the teeth. To remove that, the gums are flapped up, and bacteria are removed.
Bone Grafting: This is done when the bone that surrounds the root of the teeth gets damaged. This is a replaceable surgery where the old damaged bone is replaced with a new bone.
Guided Tissue Regeneration: his is an effective procedure to stimulate tissue and bone growth. Thin membrane-like material is placed between the tissue and the bone so that they do not interfere with one another.
Crown Lengthening: This is a type of cosmetic surgery. The gums that have grown lengthier than the teeth are cut off to make the teeth look longer.

Preparation

Your Dentist or your dental hygienist will first remove all plaque and tartar(calculus) from around your teeth. He or she will make sure that your oral hygiene is good. Your periodontist also will evaluate your health and the medicines you take. This is important to make sure that surgery is safe for you.

Procedure

First, you will get a shot to numb the area. Then the periodontist will use a scalpel to separate the gums from the teeth. They will be lifted or folded back in the form of a flap. This gives the periodontist direct access to the roots and bone supporting the teeth.

Inflamed tissue will be removed from between the teeth and from any holes (defects) in the bone. The periodontist then will do a procedure called scaling and root planing to clean plaque and tartar. If you have bone defects, your periodontist may eliminate them. This procedure is called osseous recontouring. It smoothes the edges of the bone using files or rotating burs.

After these procedures are completed, the gums will be placed back against the teeth and stitched in place. Some periodontists use stitches that dissolve on their own. Others use stitches that have to be removed a week to 10 days after the surgery. Your periodontist also may cover the surgical site with a bandage known as a periodontal pack or dressing.