What Is Periodontal Plastic Surgery?

For a beautiful smile, white, straight and aligned teeth is not enough. It is necessary that your gums are healthy as well as your teeth and match with your teeth. For teeth and gums to match each other; periodontal plastic surgery is performed, this procedure is also known as gum contouring surgery. Before plastic surgery is performed, it is checked whether the gums are healthy. A healthy gum should be light pink, there should be no signs of redness, swelling and bleeding in the gum, the gum should not have a rough and shiny appearance like orange peel, and it should be firmly attached to the tooth and bone.

Dental aesthetics is defined by the color of the gums, the level of the gums with the tooth and the health of the gums.

How is Periodontal Plastic Surgery Performed?

Before planning periodontal plastic surgery, oral and dental health examination is performed. During the oral and dental health examination, it is determined whether there is a health problem that may be an obstacle in aesthetic operation. If problems such as dental caries or periodontal disease exist, it is necessary to firstly plan out the course of treatment to fix these problems.

Radiographic examination is performed, the level of bone and gingiva, which wraps the patient's teeth, is measured. It is decided whether the gingiva have the appropriate appearance for the teeth.

Methods of Aesthetic Application

• Regenerative: It is administered for the purpose of reconstruction of supporting tissues that have been damaged due to periodontal disease by stimulating the construction mechanisms of body again.
• Gingivectomy: It is the process of the removal of gingival hyperplasia and excess in areas where deep pockets are formed. The level of gingiva is fixed, giving the patient an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
• Gingivoplasty: This method is used to correct gingival hyperplasia or asymmetric levels of gingiva. We can achieve an aesthetic appearance with complementary prosthetic treatments (Lamina, Zirconium, etc.).
• Crown Extension: It is the method of removing the overgrowth of gingival tissue and reshaping the bone to fix the tissue loss that has occured over time in the teeth, thus achieving a longer appearance of the teeth.

Do I Need Periodontal Plastic Surgery?

You can find out if you need periodontal plastic surgery by consulting a periodontist.

The Recovery Period After the Periodontal Plastic Surgery

Healing process in periodontal plastic surgery depends on the course of the treatment. Postoperative recovery phase can last approximately 10 to 15 days.

Is Periodontal Plastic Surgery Painful?

Local anesthesia is administered to prevent patients from experiencing pain. You can resort to the methods recommended by your periodontist for the prevention of pain that may occur after operation.

What Should We Pay Attention to After Periodontal Plastic Surgery?

The habit of brushing teeth is of great importance for the healing process. Oral care is crucial. The patient should follow a personalized oral care routine after treatment and should not delay regular follow-up treatments. In this process, a soft toothbrush must be selected.

What is Gingival Hyperpigmentation?

Gums that have a darker colour, which is commonly known as black gums, is referred to as gingival hyperpigmentation. When gums are dark in colour, sometimes close to black and they are clinically noticeable, it is called pigmentation. Gingival hyperpigmentation is dark colorations that occur due to excessive accumulation of melanin pigments in the gums. Although this condition does not cause any health problems, black discoloration on the gums, which are normally pale pink in color, poses problems in terms of esthetics.

Gums Are Important in Terms of Aesthetics

Neglecting oral care and genetic factors can cause darkening in gums, which should normally have a pale pink color, over time. Gingival hyperpigmentation can be a sign that both your appearance and your oral health have deteriorated.

Nowadays, “laser depigmentation therapy", which is one of the applications of aesthetic dentistry, is an alternative method used in the treatment of gums.