HealthWise KnowledgeBase
Gingivectomy for Gum Disease
What To Think About
- Gingivectomy may help keep gum disease from further damaging your gum tissue, teeth, and bones by helping you to clean better around and between your teeth. If bones are damaged, it is more likely that you will lose your teeth.
- Gum disease usually will progress if you do not brush and floss regularly after surgery or if you continue to use tobacco.
- To promote healing, stop all use of tobacco. Smoking or using spit tobacco reduces your ability to fight infection of your gums and delays healing. For more information, see the topic Reference Quitting Smoking.
- Regular follow-up with your dentist is important. If your gum disease gets worse, you may need a different type of surgery.
Complete the surgery information form (PDF) 
(What is a Reference PDF Opens New Window document?) to help you prepare for this surgery.
| By: | Reference Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: August 5, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | Reference Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Reference Adam Husney, MD, MD - Family Medicine Reference Steven K. Patterson, BS, DDS, MPH - Dentistry |
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